Advice and Guidance
Debt advice
How you can manage your money and prevent yourself from getting into debt?
You must pay your essential priority costs first, which are:
Mortgage or rent
Secured loans (if you have a property)
Council Tax
Gas, electricity, water and telephone bills
TV Licence
Travel to work or school by bus or car
Child care and/or school meals
Court fines
Your food, toiletries etc
- Write down how much money comes into your household ( Wage and any Benefit) each week or month,
- Then write down how much money you need to pay for your essential priority costs to see how much
- money you have left each week or month
- Shop around for a better and cheaper deal.
- Do not buy anything (even if they are on sale) that you do not have the money for or you
do not really need. - Do not borrow any money unless you know that you able to pay it back after you have paid all
your essential priority cost.
If you are in debt:
- Do not ignore the problem – it won’t go away
- If you have any problem in paying your rent or mortgage, contact your mortgage lender or the
council as soon as you can to prevent it from getting worse. - Do not be threatened or bullied into making promises which you cannot fulfil.
- Do not borrow more money to pay off your debts, especially by taking on more credit or charge
cards with higher interest rates. - If you are in debt contact us as soon as you can. We can help you to set up an affordable payment
plan with your creditors. We explore and explain to you any other options that are applicable to
your circumstance in sorting out your debts.
Welfare benefit advice
You may be entitled to claim the following benefits:
- Job Seeker’s Allowance if you are fit and available for work, if you have lost your job or have been
made redundant, - Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit if you are looking after a child,
- Employment Support Allowance if you are suffering from illness and not fit for work,
- Working Tax Credit, if you are on a low paid income
- Disability Living Allowance, if you are under 65 or if you have care and mobility needs
and need someone to help you everyday, - Attendance Allowance, if you are over 65 and have care needs and need someone to help you everyday,
- Carer’s Allowance, if you are looking after a person with disability.
- Income Support, if you are a lone parent
- Housing Benefit, if you have to pay rent for where you live
- Mortgage interest, if you are paying mortgage and claiming benefit,
- Council Tax Benefit, if you are liable to pay Council Tax,
- Pension Credit/Saving if you have reached 65 for men & 60 for women.
We can advise and assist you in claiming any benefit from the form filling stage to challenging any benefit
agency decisions and can also help with Social Security Tribunal hearings.
We can help you with Social Security benefit overpayments by either arranging to setup an affordable payment
plan or maybe even reduce them
Please keep in mind that all Social Security benefits are subject to change by the government at any time.
We can advise you on which benefit you maybe entitled to, when you can and how to claim it?
Do not delay, “every second counts” Call free@last on 0121 327 5959 for free, independent,
confidential and impartial specialist help and advice.
