Elliot's story

My sister and I had a joint business running a small, independent pub. I did the finance and she ran it day-to-day. My main job was at a big corporate company. I was married and my daughters were pre-schoolers when our family went through an incredibly hard time.

The global recession in 2008 really shook our pub business. People stopped going out; it was like it changed overnight. As an independent local business, we didn't have much resource to fall back on. Our revenue plummeted. My sister was struggling to cope as well - it fell to me to manage the failing business as best I could.

At the same time my wife was diagnosed with Huntington's Disease. We were told that it's a terminal condition that would decline. I was facing bankruptcy. As a chartered accountant that meant I'd probably lose my job too. Then there were pressures of caring for 2 small children and my wife - it was very difficult for all of us.

I got in touch with caba and found the help invaluable. They helped me in 2 really important ways: carer support and debt advice. The people working at caba understood the emotional strain I was under, and they were really competent in navigating the system. They told me what support my family were eligible for and how to get it. As my wife's condition progressed we were able to get a daily carer. This really helped in the last year or so, but sadly my wife's health declined and she passed away.

Throughout all this I was terrified of bankruptcy. But caba gave me debt advice and negotiated with my creditors for me and we created a repayment plan that avoided bankruptcy. Companies respond better when they are dealing with an organisation like caba. They're less likely to keep calling and applying pressure. The sense of the relief was enormous. I have now almost paid off all the creditors and am very much looking forward to being debt-free again. It was traumatic and difficult for that long period, but I felt I had someone who was 100% on my side to help me through the nightmare.

Things are still difficult for my daughters who are now almost secondary school age, but I have the support I need. We're moving forward with our lives and things are getting better despite our loss.

how caba can help

caba supports the wellbeing of past and present ICAEW members, ACA students, ICAEW staff members, and their spouses, partners and children up to the age of 25. For advice, information and support please:

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Who is eligible for support?

We support past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), ACA students, ICAEW staff members, and the family and carers of members and students. 

  1. No matter where your career takes you, past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England Wales (ICAEW) are eligible for caba’s services for life, even if you change your career and leave accountancy 
  2. ACA students (ICAEW Provisional Members) who are either an active student or have been an active student within the last three years are eligible for caba's services 
  3. Past and present staff members of the ICAEW or caba are eligible for caba's services for life, even if you leave either organisation. Please note, for former employees, our financial support is only available to those who have had five years continuous employment with either organisation 
  4. Family members and carers of either an eligible past or present ICAEW member, ACA student or past or present employee of the ICAEW or caba are eligible for caba's support. We define a family member as a: 
    1. spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner 
    2. widow, widower or surviving civil partner who has not remarried or cohabiting with a partner 
    3. divorced spouse or civil partner who has not remarried or cohabiting with a partner 
    4. child aged up to 25. Please note, children aged between 16 and 25 are not eligible for individual financial support 
    5. any other person who is dependent on the eligible individual supporting them financially or are reliant on the eligible individual’s care 
    6. any other person on whom the eligible individual is reliant, either financially or for care 

You can find out more about our available support both in the UK and around the world on our support we offer  page. 

Are your services means-tested?

If you need financial support, we carry out a means test where we consider income, expenditure, capital and assets.  

*Please note none of our other services are means-tested. 

I’m an accountant, but not a member of ICAEW, can you still help?

Unfortunately not. We only support past and present ICAEW members, their carers and their families. If we are unable to support you, where possible we will point you to help elsewhere.

caba has supported me in the past; can I receive support from caba again?

We understand that circumstances change. If we’ve helped you in the past there’s no reason why we can’t help you again. You can contact us at any time. Please call us if you need our help.

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