Benefits Advice and Support
Money guidance and benefit advice for Council Tenants
If you're a council tenant and you're having trouble paying bills or dealing with credit cards and loans, you can get help to manage your money. We're here to help you make the most of your money and avoid rent arrears, council tax arrears and all those other debts that can so easily build up.
Coronavirus - help with benefits
We believe that the Money Advice Service provides the best and most helpful information currently available.
You can also use the Turn2 Us benefit calculator to help you identify what benefits you may be entitled to.
If your child is entitled to free school meals during this time, then please see the Gov.uk website for more information.
Money and budgeting advice
We can:
- make sure you're getting the correct welfare benefits
- review the money coming in and money going out of your account
- help you reduce the money going out
- help you prioritise payments for essential bills such as rent, council tax, gas, electricity and water
- act on your behalf to ask for Housing Benefit and Universal Credit backdates, reviews and appeals
- advise you on affordable financial products and services
- offer you budgeting and money advice workshops with support and aftercare
- give you information on utility providers and help you switch to a better deal
- talk you through energy saving options and grants to help you save money
To get help, just contact your Income Recovery Officer and ask to be referred to the Financial Inclusion Team, or email us directly.
Help get back to work
Free courses and computer access
Kingston Adult Education run free courses in GCSE Maths and free GCSE English.
Learn my way offers free online courses to help with job hunting, computer skills, literacy and money management.
Our libraries run free courses in computing skills, improving your English and more. They also have free wifi and computers for public use with internet access.
Free workshops
We're running regular budgeting workshops to help tenants manage their money. If you attend one of our workshops you'll learn:
- How to make the best of your money and make sure you pay your priority debts and negotiate with creditors
- Information on the most recent introduction of Universal Credit and changes in other benefit entitlements
- Contact the Financial Inclusion Team to register for a workshop