Tommy - how Action supported me

"I had a very harsh entry into the world of sight loss. I went to the hospital because I was starting to struggle to see at work. I was a bus driver for 30 years and I loved the job. They examined me and told me that I would go blind; I was terrified. They then asked me if I drove and asked to see my driving license. When I handed over my license and said I drove for a living, they tore it up in front of me and said ‘Not any more, you don’t’.

"I had no plans to retire at the time and this absolutely devastated me. I felt at the time that my life was over. I sat in the hospital and cried like a baby. I was suicidal. Things went from bad to worse. With no income coming in and no information about our rights, my wife and I steadily built up debts. We could not pay our mortgage and our home was repossessed. We lost everything and had to declare ourselves bankrupt. We then moved from rented place to rented place.

"In our last place we could have settled. However, our private landlord refused to have the essential bathroom adaptation work completed that I needed. Social services then put us in touch with Hazel, Housing Coordinator at Action for Blind People. She helped us to apply to the local council and housing associations and made sure we had the highest priority on their lists.

"Unfortunately, the council had no suitable properties and we were told we might have to wait years. As I’m an ex-serviceman, Hazel contacted St Dunstans, a UK charity which provides help and support to visually impaired ex-servicemen and women. Within months, the perfect three bedroom bungalow was found for us, which has been specially adapted. We now rent the property from St Dunstans, at Local Housing Allowance rates, covered by Housing Benefit.

"Hazel was in touch throughout this process and I knew I could call her at any point. Now we have support from Action for Blind People we are a bit more in control; I have somewhere to turn. In the morning when I am not feeling good, I can get up and look out of the window - the bungalow is brilliant. We can stay here now and settle."