Financial Help

From time-to-time many people struggle with their finances. The important thing is not to let it get on top of you and to seek help as soon as you can. 

You can get free and independent advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau. You can find their details online at the Citizens Advice website. In Derbyshire you can also get information about a range of financial providers from the Financial Action and Advice Derbyshire website. The Money Advice Service (link to website) also has a number of useful budgetting tools on their website.

If you are already a tenant of a housing association or registered provider, they may have staff who can help you. Contact your landlord directly to find out.

Universal Credit and other benefits

To claim Universal Credit, visit the Universal Credit pages on the GOV.UK website. You'll find information about how to apply and how much you will receive there, as well as being able to find a link to the online application form.

The Derbyshire Welfare Rights team at Debyshire County Council (link to their website) or the Derbyshire Unemployed Worker's Centre ((link to their website) can advise you what benefits you may be eligible for and how you can claim. You can also check for your eligibility for benefits using the free and independent websites entitledto and TURN2US. Both websites have benefit calculators that will help you to make sure you claim what you are eligible for and don't miss out.

If you are in urgent need of help because of a crisis or disaster, you could apply to the Derbyshire Discretionary Fund (link to the DDF website).

Help with housing costs

If you need help to pay with your rent, you should approach your local council to ask about housing benefit (but not if you are already receiving the housing element of Universal Credit). Your local council can advise you if you are eligible for help. You can find out which is your local Council at the GOV>UK Find Your Local Council webpage.

If you do not receive enough money to meet all your housing costs, you may be able to apply to your local council for a Discretionary Housing Payment. This is short-term support to help you meet the shortfall in your rent until you can move somewhere more affordable.

If you want to find out how much Local Housing Allowance you may be eligible for, there is also a website where you can check what the Local Housing Allowance rate is for your area.

If you are aged between 18 and 21, there are additional rules about getting help with your housing costs. Visit the Housing costs for 18 to 21 year olds page on the GOV.UK website for more information.

Bank accounts

If you need a bank or savings account, Derbyshire Community Bank may be able to help. They are a credit union and your money is protected in the same way as if you have an account with a high street bank.

If you don't have a good credit rating, you may struggle to open a bank account. Many banks offer basic bank account for people in those circumstances. See this article about  basic bank acounts on the Money Saving Expert websit e for more information.

Finding work

Finding a new or a different job can help you to improve your familiy finances. Many jobs are advertised on the Universal Jobmatch website, as well as other websites.

Training

Learning some new skills can also be a big help when it comes to finding a job. Your local county council has an adult education service which could be a good place to start.

Derbyshire County Council - Adult Education

Staffordshire County Council - Adult Education.