Coping with a divorce emotionally, financially and practically is a huge challenge for anyone. If you’ve never dealt with the domestic financial paperwork, that’s more challenging still. Now try it when you’re blind.
Jackie, now in her 30s, had been blind for seven years, the result of an illness. It had been a mutual decision to divorce, but it had many profound consequences, including that she was now responsible for running the finances of a household for herself and her three children.
Jackie says, “Look, I’m a girl who has become blind, and was always fairly dyslexic and I have always found paperwork terrifying. I didn’t know how to run the finances of home because I’ve never had to – I moved directly from my house with my parents to moving in with my husband.
“My big fear was that I would let somebody down. I wouldn’t do it right. All the bills and everything – what was coming in and what was going out. I wanted to have a system that I would be able to understand and for somebody to help me within that system. The whole thing was very, very daunting, very scary, and financially it was really hard.
“My aunt recommended Paperweight, and I called the helpline. During our conversation, the assessor understood that I would be needing regular, ongoing support. I was asked to prepare some new folders and dividers for our first meeting, and that was where my journey with my Paperweight caseworker, Sylvia, began.”
Sylvia takes up the story. “Jackie was in a terrible state, money-wise. She had moved to a new borough without realising the consequences. That meant she had to re-apply for housing benefit and other benefits, which I helped her with. I could read the letters and make the phone calls. But Jackie was intent on becoming independent. We arranged for her to receive an RNIB approved scanner which would read out documents to her, and organised a Braille-based filing system. Now I just come in once every 3-4 weeks and help Jackie with anything left over that she can’t handle herself.”
Jackie adds: “I’ve got it all sorted out now – my filing system is very clever. I understand exactly what I’ve got coming in and going out. Paperweight really have been so helpful. Sylvia made me feel that I was perfectly capable of doing it, and there was absolutely no question we would be able to sort this out. She gave me faith in myself which in itself was a lifesaver. Paperweight have been amazing.”
