Help Miles!

Our friend Miles lost his job and his home. Now a group of his best friends are raising money to help him get back on his feet.

Miles has been homeless since 2015 after suffering a health crisis and becoming unable to work. He has been repeatedly refused emergency accommodation, employment & support allowance despite being ostensibly eligible - even as he was hospitalised after sleeping rough for a month. For his entire adult life before this point, he has worked and paid taxes. Despite having done everything right, due to the punitive nature of social security in the UK and the extensive cuts by the Tory government he has, like many, been left without a safety net when he needed it the most.

We are a group of Miles’ friends who provide him with whatever spare space we have to keep him from sleeping rough, as well as offering money and food. While this has been helpful during the long and painful process of appealing DWP decisions, it is not a solution in and of itself. We believe that what has happened to Miles is an injustice, his treatment by support services is shameful and he deserves a strong opportunity to take control of his life again. We’ve all known him for many years and care about him very much.

Miles has been jumping through hoops to get the support he’s entitled to, and yet he has been in limbo for years. While he makes continued appeals, which take a very long time in an already overburdened system, he needs to not be in a constant state of emergency; not constantly worrying about where he’ll sleep next week, or where meals are coming from.

We are asking you to donate anything you can to make it possible for him to find his own place to live; to have the time, privacy and stability he needs to get back on his feet. We hope to raise enough to keep him housed for six months to a year, long enough to focus without distraction on his appeal, his health and potentially securing a stable income.

We thank you for reading and promise you that your generosity will make a difference.

*UPDATE 27/08/2019*

Hi everyone! Fantastic news and a very significant update, your attention would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks to your extremely generous donations, as well as the numerous people who shared the fundraiser on social media, Miles is officially no longer homeless. Johanna and I helped him move into his new place over the weekend, and his rent and bills are paid for the next six months.

While we're thrilled to finally be at this stage, there are still many hurdles to overcome. Miles will need to get an official document proving his identity, and consequently a bank account. He will still need time for his health to improve and to potentially pursue work. In lieu of work, it's vital that he is able to work on his appeal to receive the ESA arrears we know he is entitled to.

All of this, especially the last part, could take up to a year to accomplish.

We would like to keep the momentum going here and secure that year for him. We've worked out that with another £3000 this is possible, and so I have updated the fundraising goal accordingly. We have six months to raise that money and your help is valued enormously. If you are able to share this fundraiser and encourage more people to donate, we have the best shot possible at conclusively changing our friend's life for the better.

Your help so far has been unbelievable. We're sure this last push will make all the difference. As ever, thank you for reading and for all your support.

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