Next Step project

“Recently due to mental illness and other illnesses I needed to apply for PIP, you have helped me with my PIP forms, Universal Credit, Doctor sick notes. Just being there to talk with is the biggest thing you have helped with, to try and get my life back. Next Step has given me lots of help, I feel less stressed; before I was having panic attacks, I didn’t have anyone before coming to NCA. I would give up if I didn’t have the help of the NCA.” “I’m trying to get me back to normal, without you guys I wouldn’t be here. You guys are amazing”

A local, retired lady found out about us from the Community Centre, she needed help with debt due to her pension being taken. We supported her to: claim her tax back due to her retirement, claim attendance allowance to help pay for her personal care, sort her rent arrears helped her sort out her council tax. “My stress levels have gone down, it has made a massive difference. I didn’t expect anything but I gained a lot in such a short time”

A middle aged, retired man who is relatively new to the UK and lived locally with his son. He needed help with his pension as he has applied for it in march and hadn’t heard anything back, he also needed help applying for council tax support. “[Without Next Step] I would have been unable to find out why my pension hadn’t been paid and you have helped reduce the amount I pay in council tax by helping me apply for council tax support. It’s really helpful”

Muhammad is 47 and lives locally; he first came to us in February 2019 for job search and to make a new CV. Since then we helped him apply for Universal Credit and showed him how to use his online account. He created a CV using the Great Places CV support service and we helped him with job search and applications. He has enhanced his CV by completing 4 of our online industry standard courses through Highspeed Training. He secured a job in May, his first since 2020! “I would have had too much struggle to do any of these things and probably would not have done any of them… Very good and cooperative. I feel very nice and feel like family members. There is not anything they haven’t been able to do for me so far. Very good”

Mr Mahmood is retired, before the pandemic he came to the Next Step project to join a Beginner Computer class and browse the internet. During the pandemic he had to isolate due to health conditions but he felt very isolated as he has no smartphone, laptop or TV. We used our links with local organisations to secure him all three items free! "Before I was lonely having to isolate and very bored. Now I can watch the news and sports. I keep in touch with friends and relatives who are abroad using my phone. I am very happy, you are very helpful and cooperative with me, helping me with what I need"