Universal credit claimants turn to crowdfunding to meet living costs
Faced with cuts to her universal credit and crippling bills, in September last year Amy Cook, 27, decided to do something she had never done before to help her family: she set up a crowdfunding campaign to help alleviate their financial situation.
Cook, a full-time carer to her partner, Jordan, 37, who has learning difficulties, set a £2,000 goal on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. On her profile she explained to potential donors that the family had “hit a brick wall” with a bedbug infestation followed by cuts to their universal credit, adding that it would be “10 times harder to survive let alone live”.
Cook, who lives in Deptford, London, explained that the couple had depleted their “rainy day fund” and needed a “helping hand to get back to an acceptable standard of living”.
This included carpeting the home as Jordan has grand mal epilepsy, which causes him to have fits, and they were concerned that the seizures could lead to a serious head injury.
“We have no funds to live off,” says Cook, who has a daughter aged eight. “We approached the council and housing association but there was no support anywhere … The minute the money is there it’s gone; you’re always a month behind on your bills. You pay one bill then another comes straight in. There’s not enough support for people in poverty.”
She turned to GoFundMe as a last resort. “I was nervous as I’m not a person to ask strangers for help but what else can I do? The government isn’t doing anything.” The couple reached their goal, allowing them to resolve the bed bug situation, buy a new chest of drawers, washing machine and other essential items.
Research for the Guardian by GoFundMe found a 28% rise in the number of appeals mentioning universal credit appearing on the
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