Financial Advice in Stafford & South Staffordshire

Struggling to pay your rent?

Overwhelmed by your bills?

Unsure what benefits you’re entitled to?

Rent arrears?

Debts pilling up?

At risk of losing your housing?

Don’t panic!

Help is here…

Money worries can have a serious impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. Not to mention pose a very real threat to your home and living situation.

It’s an overwhelming and frightening place to be when you’re not sure how you’re going to pay for your next meal or meet your rent for the month.

But you’re not alone…

Free Financial & Welfare Advice

Every day, Building Better Opportunities in Stafford and South Staffordshire helps people across the area to take control of their finances and feel better about money.

Through our free financial and welfare advice, we can support you to take the necessary steps to get on top of debts and better manage your financial situation.

From supporting you with budgeting to helping with benefits and welfare, there’s always a way forward when you work with our Advocates to address any money worries you might have.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are struggling to pay your bills or your debts are snowballing, contact us today for financial and welfare support from our friendly team in and around Staffordshire.

 

Welfare Advice in Stafford and Staffordshire

Benefits Help in Staffordshire

Benefits Help & Support in Staffordshire

Benefits and welfare support are payments offered by the government to help with living costs. There are lots of different types of benefits that you can apply for, but to get them you must meet the eligibility criteria.

Getting your head around benefits and what you are entitled to can be difficult. At Building Better Opportunities, we can help you untangle the information and make an application.

The different types of benefits available include:

  • Universal Credit
  • Tax Credits
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Child Benefit
  • Housing Benefit
  • Employment and Support Allowance

As well as those listed above, there are a number of other support initiatives, loans and financial help available such as budgeting loans, tax-free childcare, maternity allowance, cold weather payments, and more.

Get Benefits Help

If you are unemployed, live in Stafford or South Staffordshire, and need some help understanding which benefits may be right for you, contact us. Our Advocates will work with you to understand the criteria and lend a helping hand in making your application.

5 Top Budgeting Tips

One of the quickest and easiest ways to ease financial stress is by putting together a simple budget. But when you’re overwhelmed, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are 5 of our best budgeting tips to help you get started…

  • Know Your Finances

First of all, take some time to sit down and figure out your monthly income and outgoings. Aim to drill down exactly how much money you have coming in and what’s going out (and when!). This will help you to see how much you have left in your budget to cover other spending throughout the month.

  • Compare Your Bills 

It’s not always easy to figure out how to bring in more money, but there are many ways to save on your monthly spend. Use a comparison site to find out if you can save money on your gas, electric, water, internet and phone.

  • Prioritise Spending 

Once you know your monthly income and outgoings, prioritise your spending to ensure all necessities are covered. This can vary from person to person, but can include things like food, clothing, rent, car insurance and more.

  • Sell What You Don’t Need 

If you’ve got a house full of things you don’t need, selling them can be a great way of earning a little bit of money that can go towards your budget or paying off debts. Things like old electronics, clothing, toys, etc can easily be sold through social media or specialised selling sites. Doing this also helps to declutter your home and free up some space!

  • Track Your Spending 

No matter how much planning you do, unexpected situations will crop up throughout the month that cost money. This could be due to a breakdown of an essential household item (like your washing machine) or problems with your car. Make a point of tracking your spending throughout the month by keeping all of your receipts and factoring them into your budget. You may find you’re spending more than you would like in one area, and you can take steps to change that.

 

Top 5 budgeting tips

Financial Advice in Stafford & South Staffordshire

While budgeting can be a great help, we know it’s not always that simple when you’re worried about your finances.

If you find yourself in a position where you are worried and anxious about paying your bills or debts, please give us a call or come and see us at one of our  our Weekly Work Clubs to speak to a member of our team face-to-face. We are a non-judgemental and customer-focused service dedicated to helping individuals through financial advice, free training, career guidance and much more.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from participants who have been exactly where you are...

Annie’s journey…

“I’ve had help with managing my money as I was terrible with money.  I’ve also had help with my rent as I was really behind with that too.  The programme has kind of helped me to wipe the slate clean and start a fresh.”