Mr & Mrs Wong
Mr and Mrs Wong faced debilitating language barriers when trying to access help with heating their home. One of our multilingual caseworkers was able to provide a tailored solution to these issues.
Relying solely on their pension, Mr and Mrs Wong didn’t know what to do when their old boiler broke down in the middle of winter and was found to be beyond repair. They were heating their home with two fan heaters which were costing a fortune and still leaving them cold.
Mr Wong said: “My wife and I felt hopeless, to be honest. We were so terribly cold and at the same time scared of getting into debt. I tried my best to get help from other organisations, but the pandemic made it very hard to speak to anyone who understood, especially because I needed someone who understood our language and our predicament”.
They got in touch with the Money Skills Team at Positive Action in Housing. They were able to speak in their language to someone who understood what they were going through. Mary, the caseworker, arranged with Home Energy Scotland for a Warm works assessment of their home. As lockdown eased, a date was set for the installation of a new heating system – boiler, radiators, and pipes. The new system is also much more efficient, saving them around £330 a year in fuel bills and making their home more energy efficient too.
Mary spoke the same language as us and reassured us she would do her best to assist. It was a miracle and a wonderful surprise when one day she phoned me and said we would be getting a new heating system. My husband was so surprised when I told him, he cried. Mary sorted out our pension too. Our home is warm now, something we never thought was possible