No fixed address bank account support in Salisbury
When struggling to manage our finances, we probably all take for granted that we have a bank account from which to do so. We all know that to get paid when you have a job, you need one, or if you wish to have a tenancy, you will need one to pay your bills, so what do you do if you cannot open one?
The sad reality for many experiencing homelessness or housing difficulties is that they often struggle to obtain items such as passports or driving licences without a permanent address. As a result, they will be unable to have bills in their name, making the whole possibility of managing their personal finances even more complex and even more stressful.
Thankfully some help is at hand through a scheme established between us, HSBC and Shelter. We are now the only charity in Salisbury able to provide a reference so that those struggling in these circumstances can open a bank account. It is a specialist scheme that HSBC initiated, which has enabled two of our team to be trained to process these applications.
Sarah Ball from HSBC says, “We have been approached by several individuals living on the streets of Salisbury requesting this service; however, until now, the nearest charity registered with us to provide this service was in Andover. As you can imagine getting transport as someone in these circumstances was impossible, so we are delighted to work with Alabaré to provide this service locally.”
With this support, once these accounts are opened, those without a fixed home address can now have a safe space to keep and spend their money and, with luck, provide a place to save towards their future.
If you know others who may be struggling, please contact the team at somewheretogo@alabare.co.uk so they can help you with the next steps.
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