Peter's story

“It made finding help so much easier. It actually brings help to people who need it - without it, people wouldn’t know where to look.”

 

We had the opportunity to speak with Peter, a 65-year-old ex-military veteran. He has spent years navigating a complex, and often unhelpful, support system. Having served in the army for 16 years as a Master Chef, then running businesses, advising councils, and even founding a festival in Liverpool, Peter never expected to find himself in a situation where heating his home would become a struggle.​

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Losing vital winter support

After recent policy changes, Peter was told he was no longer eligible to receive the Winter Fuel Payment. With energy costs eating up nearly £38 a week, more than a third of his £107 Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is gone before he can even think about food or other essentials.

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Peter reached out to his energy provider to seek support, however as he is on a prepayment meter, meaning he has to pay for his gas and electricity in advance rather than receiving a bill, his provider was unable to support him.

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With support seemingly unavailable, cutting back felt like it became the only option. Food shopping is a daily calculation for Peter, and heating has now become a luxury.

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The lifeline that made a difference

Struggling to find a way forward, Peter turned to The Royal British Legion (RBL) for help - where he was introduced to Lightning Reach. Through the platform, Peter applied to the RBL Everyday Needs Grant, which provided him with £1,000 over the year to help with his fuel costs. That extra money made a huge impact on his quality of life.

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“The support was major. Getting that extra £1,000 was huge. It really helped to ease the mental burden.”

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Peter found that unlike other support websites that provide long lists of potential aid, many of which don’t apply, Peter found that Lightning Reach matched him directly with the help he needed.

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"A lot of support websites provide long lists of potential help, which can be overwhelming. But Lightning Reach was different - it matched me directly with the help I needed."

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Holding on to hope and looking ahead

Despite his resilience, Peter admits that navigating the system can feel exhausting.

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“I think I’d given up a bit,” he confessed. “I started to think, ‘Why bother?’”

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But finding support through Lightning Reach has helped change that mindset. Though he remains sceptical about the system, knowing there are people and organisations actively making a difference gives him hope.

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“I’m a very cynical person, but when I hear about something nice happening to someone, it makes me feel better about life. It’s lovely to hear that there are people and organisations like Lightning Reach who are actually helping.”

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Peter encourages others to seek support too, knowing firsthand the difference it can make. 

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“It made finding help so much easier. It actually brings help to people who need it - without it, people wouldn’t know where to look.”