Debt and money

Dealing with money issues can sometimes be off-putting, but if you don't understand how things like credit or mortgages work, you could end up losing out financially or getting yourself deep in debt. The following pages will give you the information you need to make the right choices, including help to deal with your debt problems, how to avoid losing your home and how to get your finances back into shape.

For further advice and information please click below

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/
Citizens Advice

Money Advice

Welfare Rights Free advice for Tameside residents on a range of benefit and tax credit entitlements

Citizens Advice Free, confidential, independent and impartial advice. We're open to everyone in the community. Our staff are trained to give information on virtually any issue, including:
Welfare Benefits
Debt Advice
Financial Capability
Employment
Consumer Rights
Housing
Neighbourhood Disputes
Education and Healthcare
Immigration and Residency Issues (OISC Level1 - advice and assistance only)
Human Rights
Family and Personal Issues

Disability Living Allowance for children under 16 Any child who has a disability or illness might qualify for DLA, and you don't need to wait for a formal diagnosis to make a claim. However you will need to show that your child needs substantially more care or supervision than other children of the same age who don't have a disability or health condition.
DLA can be claimed from the age of three months or from birth if your child has a terminal illness. www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for young people over 16 is a benefit that has replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults aged 16-64.
PIP is not means tested and can be paid both in and out of work. Whether your son or daughter qualifies will depend on the difficulties they have in carrying out certain tasks essential to independent living and the problems they have in getting around out of doors. www.gov.uk/pip

Disabled Students Allowance - As a higher education student living in England, you can apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you have a disability, click here for more details

Carer's Allowance is the main benefit for carers. You might be able to get it if your child is on the care component of Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate or if they get the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment.
It is not means tested so it does not matter what savings you have, and most forms of income are ignored. However if you work you can only get Carer's Allowance if your earnings after deductions are no more than £120 per week. www.gov.uk/carers-allowance

Universal Credit is a new benefit for people of working age. It is paid both to people who are out of work and to those in employment. It is replacing most of the current means-tested benefits for people of working age, with a single payment made by the Department for Work and Pensions. www.gov.uk/universal-credit
What benefits is Universal Credit replacing?

Income support.
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
Child tax credit.
Working tax credit.
Housing benefit.

Disabled Facilities Grant If your home needs to be adapted to meet your child’s needs, you may be able to get a Disabled Facilities Grant to help with the costs.
www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants

Hospital Travel Costs Scheme You may get financial help from the Hospital Travel Costs Scheme if you're on a low income
www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/healthcare-travel-costs-scheme-htcs/

Free School Meals can be claimed by Parents or Guardians of pupil’s who are on a low income. https://www.tameside.gov.uk/schoolmeals#claim

Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations. www.turn2us.org.uk

Loan Sharks The Stop Loan Sharks Team are here to help you. We are the only government agency in the UK who have the power to investigate and prosecute loan sharks and illegal money lenders. YOU are not in trouble if you have borrowed cash or have been paying back a loan from an illegal money lender, the loan shark is. They are the people committing a crime not you. www.stoploansharks.co.uk/we-can-help/