Money Advice available to you
At bpha, we know the last two years have been challenging not just physically and emotionally but financially too so if you’re struggling with money worries, we are here to help. Our free and impartial Money Advice service can work with you to find a more secure way forward.
Money Advice is available to all bpha customers and you don’t need to be in receipt of benefits to get help and support. Details of how to get in touch with us are at the end of this article or, if you prefer, we have a Benefits Calculator on our website. You can use it to check if you are eligible for benefits or help with your rent or council tax.
Why you might need us
You’ve probably seen or heard people talking about how things are going to get worse as the UK faces a ‘cost of living crisis’. From spiralling inflation and taxes to bigger energy bills and rising shopping costs, millions of us will find ourselves worse off in 2022. Together with the end of the Universal Credit uplift, this means more and more households will find it harder to make ends meet. So, if you are experiencing difficulties, reach out to our Money Advice service for confidential help.
As well as helping you to access benefits, the team can:
- help you to create a debt management plan;
- deal with creditors;
- try to secure grant funding to help with your utility bills;
- secure support from our partner agencies locally.
Whatever your circumstances, the Money Advice team are here to give advice and support on rent arrears. To get in touch with them you can fill in our online form or call 0330 100 0272 and ask for our Money Advice team. You can also follow us on Twitter @bpha or on Facebook where frequent money advice surgeries are held. Don’t get into debt, let us help you.
If you are particularly affected by the April 2022 rent increase please do get in touch with us and we will work with you.
These are just some of the services we provide. Let’s work together.
Help maximise income
Identify possible support via grants
Support and advice on rent and Council Tax
Help you to sustain your tenancy
Provide debt advice and support with other creditors
Money Advice case study
Amanda Ryan, Money Advice Manager, is regularly taking over the bpha Facebook page. She answers your questions and explains more about the services we provide. Recently she provided a case study (customer’s name and photo have been changed).
Amelia is affected by mental health problems including depression. She is financially vulnerable because her health issues prevent her from working. She is reliant on Universal Credit as her sole income.
With two young children to support, Amelia was struggling to pay all her housing costs.
Her children, both girls, were deemed able to share a room. In a three-bedroom property, she was impacted negatively by bedroom tax.
With unaffordable debt payment demands being made by some creditors, Amelia’s arrears were rising together with her anxiety.
When Amelia got in touch with Money Advice, action was taken to apply for emergency hardship assistance from the local authority to cover the shortfall in Amelia’s housing costs and to enable affordable payments towards her rent arrears. An award from May 2021 to November 2021 was secured.
The Money Advice team will continue to assist Amelia with her application for PIP benefit to support her health needs. Affordable debt payments have been negotiated with creditors and hardship assistance secured to ease the hardship in Amelia’s budget.
This support and advice is free, it is quick, confidential and independent. Our role is to help you stay in your home. If you need help then please get in touch.