"I thought I was going to lose my home but 'amazing' Muir helped me"
MUIR resident Amy Lee feared she was going to lose the roof over her head when she got into financial difficulty.
But she found help where she least expected it after running into rent arrears, proving that Muir stays true to its ethos of being ‘more than just a landlord’.
Now she says the help she received from Muir has improved her quality of life and says people need not be worried about picking up the phone and talking to the housing association about money problems, rather than burying their head in the sand.
“I was fearful because I thought I was going to lose my home,” said Cambridgeshire-based Amy.
“My family told me to stop burying my head in the sand but I didn’t think I would get the help I needed.
“Eventually I emailed Muir and someone got back to me.”
Amy, who lives near Huntingdon, began encountering difficulties when she switched jobs and found herself playing catch up with her rent due to changes in the way she was paid, as well as an impact on her housing benefit.
“I started getting rent reminders through the post,” the 27-year-old said.
“I ignored them at first but eventually I got in touch with Muir and told them I had problems.
“My Tenancy Services Officer, Josie Thompson (pictured above), and Income Services Officer, Stacey Parker (below), were both really helpful.
“They are amazing women who genuinely care and they took a lot of the stress out of the situation.
“They really did give 100 per cent to support me and continue to do so. Whenever I need a chat they are always there.”
“Stacey provided me with lots of options and we settled on a payment plan which gave me an affordable amount to pay on top of my rent each month which I make sure I stick to.
“My quality of life has improved loads as a result and I’m not worried about losing my home anymore.”
Amy says she would encourage anyone with financial difficulties to give Muir a call rather than feeling that their landlord is the last person they can turn to when running into arrears.
“If you don’t communicate with Muir then they can’t help you,” Amy said.
“But if you do then the help you can receive enables you to regain control of your financial situation.
“Now I feel really happy.”
Any resident who is worried about their financial position, or concerned about their ability to pay their rent, can contact Muir on 0300 123 1222 and ask to speak with their Tenancy Services or Income Services Officer; as well as a Muir Money Advisor in confidence and totally free of charge.