Managing Money and Debt

Advice is available about how to set a budget, cut bills and pay off debts. Tools are also available online to help you budget, prioritise your debts and set savings goals.

The Beginners Guide to Managing Money is a resource from the Money Advice Service.

The Citizens Advice website also has information about budgeting and a financial health check.

Multiply

Multiply is a new government-funded programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. If you are aged 19 and over and don’t have a Maths GCSE at grade C (or equivalent), you can access a variety of different FREE courses in your area. Fill out the Expression of Interest form or contact the team at Multiply@lincolnshire.gov.uk and we will be delighted to help you on your exciting numeracy journey!

For other adult skills and family learning opportunities, go to Lincolnshire – 2aspire.

Notts & Lincs Credit Union

The Lincolnshire & Nottingham Credit Union merged with the Nottingham Credit Union on 31^st July 2020. Anyone living or working in Lincolnshire or Nottinghamshire, or working for one of our agreed Payroll Partners can become a member. It is free to join and there are no annual membership fees.

A Credit Union loan saves money, eases the strain on the budget and results in more money being spent in local communities. Nottingham and Lincolnshire Credit Union want to help people break this cycle by encouraging savings and by offering affordable loans when needed.

The Credit Union is not just here to help people with poor credit, we have a range of loans products to suit most pockets and credit profiles. Loans are available from £100 to £15,000 – repayable over 3 months to 5 years. Loans are priced and assessed so that they can offer most residents at an interest rate that is competitive or cheaper than they will be offered elsewhere.

Turn2us

Turn2us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially.

Anyone can be a missed pay-cheque, illness or bereavement away from a real financial crisis, which is why we can help you find the support you need to get back on track.

Support is also available through their helpline.

Money Matters Course

Take control of your finances with Abbey Access Training. A free 8 week course, every Wednesday at Abbey Access training centre.

Create a personalised budget, meet money specialists and gain confidence to create your own financial goals as well as learning lots of money management tips along the way.

To book a place, call 01522 801556 visit their website here Abbey Access Training | charity | Lincoln, UK

MoneyHelper

The government's MoneyHelper has lots of free information and resources to help you manage your money in uncertain times and how to keep up with essential bills and payments.

Useful tools and advice

If you’re struggling with debt, it can be hard to know where to turn. But with lots of free advice services available across the UK, you can find help in a way that’s best for you.

The Citizens Advice webpage has information about debt and solutions to debt problems.

Free debt advice is available online and via telephone from a number of providers:

StepChange Debt Charity www.stepchange.org 0800 138 1111 Advice, budget support and solutions to help you manage your debts.
Citizens Advice Web Chat www.citizensadvice.org.uk Free, independent, confidential and impartial debt advice through their web chat service. There is also an advice line on freephone 0800 1448848.
National Debt line nationaldebtline.org 0808 808 4000 National Debtline offers free debt advice online through its My Money Steps tool and its web guides, fact sheets and sample letters.
Debt Advice Foundation www.debtadvicefoundation.org 0800 622 6151 Debt Advice Foundation is a national debt advice and education charity offering free, confidential support and advice to anyone worried about debt.
PayPlan Debt Advice | Free Debt Help | Debt Solutions | PayPlan 0800 280 2816 PayPlan offer free debt advice and a range of solutions on their freephone service and a range of online services. Chat with debt experts on our online live chat option, over email, via WhatsApp or simply request a call back on our debt help request form. Their website also offers a wealth of online resources and tools.

To find face to face advice, a search facility is available via the Money Advice Service website on the debt advice locator webpage.

Mental health and debt

If you are struggling with your mental health, just summoning the energy to even think about tackling debt can be too hard. Likewise, your mental health could well be adversely affected if you are struggling with debt.

The Money Saving Expert has launched a new booklet aimed at providing debt advice, help, support and info to those people struggling with debt and mental health and the people who care for them.

Written by Martin Lewis, Jenny Keefe and Marianne Curphey, the guide aims to make it easier for those struggling to understand debt and the steps they can take to tackle it.

Useful links

It’s important to get independent financial advice so that you can make balanced and informed decisions about your money or assets.

Looking into care and support and how to pay for it can be difficult and confusing especially if your circumstances are difficult or complex. Independent financial advisers have specialist knowledge and will be able to assess your specific circumstances and give you necessary advice.

For further information try the following web pages:

As the cost of living and energy bills rise, there are resources, support and information from the government and other providers for people who are struggling to pay their bills.

The Fuelbank Foundation work with foodbanks and advice agencies to help people get back on their feet.

Citizens Advice provides information on Grants, benefits and other support, including Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment.

Households are also able to get up to £350 in cash to help with their energy bills this year. For more information and how this could help you, visit Moneysavingexpert.com

The government have also put out a factsheet which include measures to support households with rising energy bills and the cost of living.

The Energy Saving Trust have advice on how to save money on energy bills and access to help to pay energy bills.

The National Energy Action charity are working to end fuel poverty who offer a new Warm and Safe Homes Advice available on webchat on their website or call their helpline 0800 304 7159.

If you are struggling to pay your bills because of Coronavirus, Citizens Advice has useful information to support you with this.

For general advice on household energy bill support, Ofgem have a who to contact if it's difficult paying bills guide.

If you are aged 50 or over and live in Lincoln and South Lincolnshire - Age UK are offering a personalised free home energy check through their Warm & Wise project telephone 03455 564 144.

Further useful resources and information can be found on the Cost of Living Support page upon Connect to Support.

The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free and voluntary system that your supplier uses to ensure the correct support is given to its most vulnerable customers. It is designed and overseen by Ofgem for energy and Ofwat for water suppliers, and ensures individuals with special requirements have access to additional support as and when they require it.

Support may vary by supplier and by an individual’s circumstances, but can include:

Advanced notices of planned service interruption
Priority service support during emergencies and unexpected service interruption
Nominee scheme – to nominate someone to receive communications and bills from your supplier
Quarterly meter readings and assistance with billing including large format, Braille and audio letters
Identification and password scheme

You can ask to join your supplier or network operator’s Priority Services Register if you:

have reached state pension age
are pregnant, or have young children
struggle with speaking or reading English

You can also join if you’re living with a disability or a long-term medical condition, including:

mental health conditions
conditions affecting your sight, hearing or sense of smell
conditions that mean you need to use medical equipment that requires a power supply

Help is also available if your circumstances have recently changed, for example if you:

are recovering from an injury, or need support after a stay in hospital
have been bereaved
have lost your job

How to Join

Get in touch with your supplier or network operator directly and give them as much information as you can about your needs.

You can contact them online, in writing or by phone. Details on how to do this should be on their website or on your energy bills.

Tesco are running a scheme called Reconnect until 2023 and it is aimed at vulnerable and disadvantaged people. A phone is supplied to the customer with three months credit.

You submit your request by emailing tescomobile.littlehelps@tesco.com referencing Tesco Mobile Reconnects, how it would benefit the person and what device is needed and they will send one out.

For more on the scheme and the Tesco partnership with Crisis visit tescomobile.com.

How could Universal Credit Help you?

Universal Credit supports you if you are on a low income or out of work. It includes a monthly payment to help with your living costs.

Visit Understanding Universal Credit to help you understand what Universal Credit means for you or watch this video.

For further impartial advice, Citizens Advice maintain a national 'Help to Claim' service which is accessible via citizensadvice.org.uk or call 0800 144 444 (calls are free and lines open 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday). The Help to Claim advisers can help you with the early stages of your Universal Credit Claim.

Help to Save is a savings scheme for low-income earners. Savers can deposit between £1 and £50 a month into their account and will receive a government bonus– even if money has been withdrawn. Savers will earn a 50 pence bonus for every £1 saved.

Eligible individuals can find out more and how to apply for Help to Save on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app.

HMRC has produced a video on YouTube to help customers find out more about Help to Save.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) recently confirmed that Help to Save – the government savings scheme for low-income earners, which offers a 50% bonus payment worth up to £1,200 over four years has been extended to April 2025.

Residents across Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland are to benefit from more than £7.2 million of funding to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, which consists of Boston Borough Council, East Lindsey District Council and South Holland District Council, has been awarded this to deliver the next phase of Green Homes Grants awards (known as 'Sustainable Warmth') to private homeowners and landlords across the sub-region.

Funding between £5,000 and £25,000 will be awarded to properties to undertake energy efficiency improvements such as loft, cavity, underfloor, external/internal wall insulation, low-energy lighting upgrades, solar panels, draught-proofing and low-carbon heating measures such as air or ground source heat pumps.

To be eligible for the grant, households must have an Energy Performance Rating of E, F or G and a household income of less than £30k. Once eligible, an independent assessor will survey each property and make recommendations based on its energy performance.

Working with residents to save them money on their utility bills while also helping them to reduce their carbon footprint.

For further information visit Local Authority Delivery Scheme.

Pension Credit is a benefit for people over State Pension age, aimed at increasing your income. It also gives access to extra benefits, like a free TV licence for those over 75 (from 2020). With recent changes to the Pension Credit rules, we understand this might be worrying for people of pension age.

Pension Credit is explained further here Pension Credit | Lincolnshire

Household Support Fund

Funding has been made available to County Councils in England to support those most in need to help with significantly rising living costs. Local Authorities have discretion on exactly how this funding is used within the scope set out in the national guidance. It will be used to support households in the most need particularly those including children and pensioners who would otherwise struggle with increasing energy, food and water bills. Visit gov.uk for further details.

Estimate how the National Insurance contributions change will affect you

Use this gov.uk tool to get an estimate of how the changes to National Insurance contributions will affect you.

Government help with the cost of living

See what government help for households is available to you.

Help with school uniform costs

All Government funding relating to school uniform costs in Lincolnshire is delegated to schools rather than being managed by Lincolnshire County Council. If you are struggling with the cost of the uniform, please contact your child's school.

If the school is outside of Lincolnshire you may be able to receive help with the cost of school uniforms from the local council in that area. Find out if your local council can help with the cost of your uniform from Gov.uk.

NHS prescriptions and health costs

Some people are eligible for free NHS prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests and help with other NHS costs including transport to appointments.

Support paying your water bill

If you need help paying your water bill, Anglian Water have lots of ways to help. It all starts with completing an Extra Care Assessment with their Extra Care Team.

By completing an Extra Care Assessment, Anglian Water’s specially-trained support team can make sure you’re on the best tariff, create personalised payment plans to help you budget, give you some breathing space if you need some extra time to pay, as well as help guide you towards other help and benefits available.

Anglian Water have debt assistance schemes to help you get back on track if you’ve fallen behind with your payments alongside a range of discounted tariffs which may help reduce your payments.

Find out more and complete an Extra Care Assessment at anglianwater.co.uk or call Anglian Water's specially trained Extra Care team on 0800 011 3774.

Eligibility for Council Tax Support

Information and support can be found by visiting the Housing and Independence at Home

If you receive Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit you maybe eligible for a discretionary housing payment, for more information click Housing - Apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment – City of Lincoln Council

Further information available within Claim Benefits of the Money Talk Lincs section.

Your child may be eligible for funded childcare:

For 2 year olds, apply online for 15 hours funded childcare at: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/2yearolds. If eligible, you will be given a code to give to your childcare provider.
For 3- & 4-year-olds, apply directly to the childcare provider of your choice to obtain 15 hours childcare . No code required.
Working parents of 3 and 4 year olds, can apply for 30 hours childcare at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. If eligible, you will be given a code to give to your childcare provider.

Tax Free Childcare supports working families, including the self-employed, with childcare costs visit Childcare - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You may be able to save up to 20% of your childcare bill for children aged 0-11 (16 if disabled).

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. We’ll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.

You can use your card to buy:

plain liquid cow’s milk
fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
infant formula milk based on cow’s milk

You can also use your card to collect:

Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old

Visit the Healthy Start Scheme website for further information.

The Simple Payment Plan offers flexibility if a payment is missed, as it can be spread across the remainder of the plan instead of having to pay double the amount next time.

Customers are eligible to join the Simple Payment Plan if they:

have been visited by a TV Licensing Enquiry Officer
have previously held a licence that was cancelled within the last six months because of missed payments
are experiencing financial difficulties and are referred by a not-for-profit money advice organisation

For further information visit tvlicensing.co.uk

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