Maryam’s Story – “How Asking for Help Saved Our Family Thousands”

English is not my first language, so I have had help to write and share my story.*

A Worry We Didn’t Know How to Solve

My name is Maryam* and, together with my husband, I care for our daughter who has Down syndrome.

English is not our first language, and sometimes understanding letters, completing forms and knowing who to contact for help can be difficult.

When we received a Council Tax bill for more than £1,000, we were really worried. It was more than we could afford, and we didn’t know what to do or whether there was any help available.

That’s when we approached Walsall Carers Hub.

Someone to Help Us Through It

The Carers Hub listened to our situation and looked at what support might be available to us.

They contacted the Council Tax team and discovered that we might be entitled to a Council Tax reduction. There were documents and evidence that needed to be provided, which would have been difficult for us to organise on our own.

Our Carer Support Worker helped us every step of the way. They contacted different services, including our GP surgery and the PIP department, to help us get the documents we needed.

There was quite a lot of back and forth, but they kept following things up and worked with us until everything was sorted.

An Amazing Result for Our Family

Eventually, we received some wonderful news.

Our Council Tax bill was reduced to £0.

We then discovered that we had also been entitled to a reduction for previous years. This meant we received a refund of £2,623.46 for Council Tax we had already paid.

It was an enormous relief for our family. We had approached the Hub worried about how we were going to pay a bill of more than £1,000 and came away knowing that the bill had been removed and that money was being returned to us.

More Than Just Financial Support

The Carers Hub also helped us apply for a Max Card, which gives families discounts at participating attractions and venues.

For us, this means more opportunities to enjoy affordable days out and spend positive time together as a family.

The support we received wasn’t just about solving one problem. It was about having someone listen, understand our circumstances and help us find support that we didn’t know was available.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

If you are caring for a family member or friend and you are struggling with something, I would encourage you to speak to Walsall Carers Hub.

You might be worried about money, benefits, your own wellbeing, understanding what support is available, or you might simply not know where to start.

That was how we felt.

Asking for help made a huge difference to our family. We didn’t have to work everything out by ourselves – there was someone there to listen, guide us and help us get the support we needed.

Sometimes, one conversation can be the first step towards making things feel much more manageable.

*Maryam’s name and photo are fictious as she wished to remain anonymous.