‘So caring, helpful and kind’ – success story of the month – Yvonne’s client

A victim of domestic abuse who faced unprofessional, threatening behaviour from a bailiff was full of gratitude for our service.

The client, a single mother of two, praised our Money Advice Supervisor Yvonne as “so caring, helpful and kind” after she was able to halt the treatment from the bailiff.

The vulnerable client had fallen into debt and one of the creditors had passed the debt to an enforcement agency.

But the bailiff threatened to break the locks of the client’s house – which bailiffs are not permitted to do – despite the client explaining she was the victim of domestic abuse.

This left the client and her two children terrified – and they stayed inside the property with the lights off for a week.

After coming to Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire, Yvonne called the bailiff to reiterate the client was vulnerable – but the bailiff rudely ended the call.

She then raised a formal complaint with the agency – who found the client had not been treated correctly.

Concerningly, the bailiff’s body-worn camera had been switched off meaning there wasn’t a record of his contact with the client.

The bailiff is no longer permitted to contact the client in any way. And the agency compensated the client by removing the bailiff fees from the amount owed.

Yvonne is now helping the client apply for a Debt Relief Order. This would mean she will stop paying towards the debts and – after a year, the debts will be wiped clean.

The client said: “I kept expressing that my children were terrified and the bailiff just did not care.

“We had been locked in the house in darkness for around a week. The police came for welfare checks.

“I was so worried if I left the property, he would be outside waiting.

“Coming to Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire was a huge moment for me.

“It had felt like I had no one. They treated me so kindly when the world felt so cruel.

“They genuinely helped me and cared after the worst experience for years, when I needed people.

“Yvonne is so caring, helpful and kind. I felt like she genuinely wanted to help.

“It’s important to know Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire do genuinely help, so you don’t feel on your own.”