Creditspring Members | Anthony’s Story

In 2020/21, the UK government spent approximately 5.77 billion on disability allowances, compared to 7.66 billion in the previous year. With inflation continuing to rise this year (7% as of April 2022) it’s no wonder those on disability benefits are unsure of how they will survive the current living crisis. Retired NHS worker Anthony is unable to work because of his disability and has had to look for assistance to get through the day-to-day costs of life.

Mid-way through 2021, Anthony was in need of a loan. He had come across Creditspring on Facebook so decided to apply. At first Anthony was not approved, so he decided to become a Stability Hub member to find out when he would be eligible for a Creditspring loan. A year later, after taking steps to improve his credit, he received an email from Creditspring explaining that there was a good chance he could be approved now for a loan. After applying, he was instantly approved for a Core membership.

In the face of the cost of living crisis, one of Anthony’s financial goals for 2022 is to live comfortably, and he would love to have that little extra bit for the end of the month if needed. Anthony’s first loan was deposited into his account as he left for a well-deserved holiday, which helped him to cover the costs of his break. As Anthony is on disability benefits and had to retire early, he has felt stressed in recent months due to the increasing inflation that makes it hard to keep up with living costs. Gas and electric expenses have started affecting Anthony’s cost of living, with the bill increasing from £50/month to £100/month. With Anthony’s arthritis pain increasing in the cold, turning off the heat to save would cause him physical pain. Anthony felt that further assistance was the only option available to help him get by.

Now, Anthony is feeling more comfortable thanks to his Creditspring membership, and has begun to think about improving his credit. He has not missed any payments and his credit score has also improved, Anthony knows that he now has the opportunity for better credit in the future. He would like to have access to cheap APRs and finance options, so he is focused on continuing the good financial habits he has developed in order to achieve this.

“I would say what stopped me from achieving my financial goals before was not knowing my credit score so easily. I wasn’t seeing the actual damage I was causing by missing payments so that really hurt me for a bit”

Checking his credit score more often, while continuing to establish financial habits that work for him, has made Anthony hopeful that he will be able to achieve his goals and look forward to a brighter future.

For information and support to help you achieve your financial goals, visit Money Helper, a free service set up by the Government to help people make the most of their money. Learn more about Money Helper and their services.