When Mrs A arrived to the UK, her husband was evicted from his apartment, and not understanding their rights, the couple did not challenge this.

After months of living out of their car, the couple were able to secure temporary accommodation in an hotel, but all of a sudden the support stopped. With no access to a laptop or internet, their circumstances continued to worsen as they couldn’t research help or communicate with support groups online.

Mrs A has had to rely on her husbands Universal Credit payments, which is not enough to support the couple.

In order to try and improve their situation, Mrs A started attending Mustard Tree’s Freedom Project, where she has been studying in ESOL classes and gaining employability skills.

With support from Manchester City Council’s Digital Inclusion Team and 6point6, Mrs A was able to receive a laptop.

This allowed her to engage with support workers, and she was able to find tools for learning English and working towards further education. Additionally, she applied for college, received free English learning materials, and was able to join the Open University to pick up free qualifications in English Speaking.

Outcome:

Mrs A was accepted into college to study English, and her confidence has risen dramatically as a result of the support she received. By being provided a laptop from the council’s Digital Inclusion team, she was able to study at home, allowing her to access course materials all from the comfort of her newly acquired, council supported, private apartment.