Useful Organisations
Debt and managing your money
Money Advice Map
To find face to face debt advice services in your local area, check the money advice map www.moneyadvicemap.com.
Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS)
Charity providing free advice and support to those with debt problems.
www.cccs.co.uk
Phone: 0800 138 1111
National Debtline
Provides free confidential and independent advice on how to deal with debt problems.
Phone: 0808 808 4000 helpline
Website: www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
Community Money Advice
A national network of free confidential debt advice centres. Also run training for debt advisors and support for advice centres.
Website: www.communitymoneyadvice.com
Christians Against Poverty
A national charity, providing debt advice via a network of centres.
Website: www.capuk.org
Phone: 0800 328 0006
Money Advice Service
Government body that provides free information about money matters. The website includes budget and loan calculaters as well as lots of other useful information.
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Phone: 0300 500 5000
Money advice service personal financial healthcheck: http://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/healthcheck?utm_source=CredAcExt&utm_medium=Website&utm_campaign=NP-GH
CashQuestions.com
CashQuestions is run by a panel of national personal finance journalists who, alongside a hand-selected team of independent financial experts, provide answers to your finance-related question free-of-charge. CashQuestions is totally unbiased and all answers are tailored to individual questions.
www.cashquestions.com
HMRC – Tax Matters
HMRC have produced a series of online modules to help young people understand what tax is, how and why we pay it.
http://www.taxmatters.hmrc.gov.uk/
General advice and information
Citizens Advice
Phone: details of individual bureaux on website or in Yellow Pages.
Website: www.adviceguide.org.uk
Free confidential advice and information provided through local bureaux including specialist money advisers. The website has a range of useful information, ranging from family issues to money matters.
Office of Fair Trading
Government body protecting the rights of consumers.
The consumer direct website explains your rights. www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
Phone: 08454 04 05 0
Advice UK
Phone: 020 7407 4070
Email: general@adviceuk.org.uk
Website: www.adviceuk.org.uk
UK-wide network of advice centres. Can supply details of member agencies in your area.
Grants and benefits for individuals
Turn2us
Website: www.turn2us.org.uk
Turn2us helps people access the money available to them- through welfare benefits, grants and other financial help.
Association of Charity Officers
Phone: 01707 651 777 helpline
Website: www.aco.uk.net
Provides information to people applying for financial help from charities, by providing a signposting service and putting them in touch with organisations who might be able to help them. They also produce ‘A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need', available in most public libraries and has information about local and national charities that give grants to individuals in need.
Credit Reference Agencies
If you have been turned down for credit you can obtain details of your credit file from:
Experian Ltd
One of the three main credit reference agencies.
www.experian.co.uk
Phone: 0870 241 6212
PO Box 9000,
Nottingham NG80 7WP
Equifax plc
One of the three main credit reference agencies.
www.equifax.co.uk
Phone: 0870 514 3700
Equifax Credit File Advice Centre,
PO Box 1140,
Bradford BD1 5US
Callcredit plc
One of the three main credit reference agencies.
www.callcredit.co.uk
Phone: 0870 060 1414
PO Box 491,
Leeds LS3 1WZ
Check My File
Website that helps you check your credit history online for a fee.
www.checkmyfile.com
Phone: 0800 612 0421
Consumer and comparison websites
MoneySavingExpert
Dedicated money saving site covering a wide range of consumer issues. The excellent weekly money saving tips email is well worth signing up for. www.moneysavingexpert.com
uSwitch.com
Well known internet comparison site for utilities, loans and credit cards etc.
www.uswitch.com
moneysupermaket.com
Internet comparison site for utilities, loans and credit cards etc.
www.moneysupermarket.com
simplyswitch
Well known internet comparison site for utilities, loans and credit cards etc.
www.simplyswitch.com
Phone: 08000 111 395
Energy Saving Trust
An impartial body designed to provide advice about how to save energy. They can provide details of your local Energy Saving Trust advice centres.
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Phone: 0800 512 012
Housing
Shelter
Leading charity addressing housing issues in the UK.
www.shelter.org.uk
Freephone helpline: 0808 800 4444
Legal
Community Legal Advice
Provide free, confidential and independent legal advice on a range of topics including debt, money and tax and benefits and tax credits. Its website includes a calculator to work out whether you may be eligible for legal aid.
http://lsc.systemassociates.co.uk/
Phone: 0845 345 4345
Employment
The New Life Network
A Comprehensive information gateway on redundancy matters, career management, finding a new job and starting a business.
www.newlifenetwork.co.uk
Resources for parents
Child Support Agency (CSA)
Phone: 0845 713 3133 national enquiry line
Website: www.csa.gov.uk
Collects child maintenance for your child from the non-resident parent. You can download an application form from the website.
Independent Case Examiner (ICE)
Phone: 0845 606 0777
Textphone: 0151 801 8888
Website: www.ind-case-exam.org.uk
An independent body who can help resolve complaints about the Child Support Agency. You must go through the Child Support Agency's complaints process first. Children and parenting
ParentlinePlus
Phone: 0808 800 2222 Parentline 24-hours
Textphone: 0800 783 6783
Website: www.parentlineplus.org.uk
Provides advice and support for parents.
Raising Kids
This website covers all aspects of raising children.
www.raisingkids.co.uk
Phone: 0208 883 8621
Saving for Children
Website showing the different ways children can save money.
www.savingforchildren.co.uk
Toy Libraries
Social services should have details of the toy libraries in your area or you can contact the National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries on: 0207 7255 4616, www.natll.org.uk
Lone parent organisations
Gingerbread
Phone: 0808 802 0925 (Single Parent Helpline)
Website: www.gingerbread.org.uk
Free information for lone parents on benefits, work, education, holidays, children, relationship breakdown and child maintenance. Also provides information on other helpful organisations and lone parent groups throughout the UK, and offers a membership scheme.
Dads UK
Phone: 07092 391 489
Website: www.dads-uk.co.uk
Information, advice, email and telephone support for lone fathers and details of local contacts. Also has an online forum, which can put you in touch with other lone fathers. Free membership.
Single Parents Action Network (SPAN)
UK Phone: 0117 9514231
Website: www.singleparents.org.uk
Network of self-help organisations for single parents. Also provides an advice, information and signposting service to lone parents and can offer help to those wanting to set up a new self-help group.
Materials for those with learning difficulties
Making Money Easier
From disability charities United Response and ARC – guides on using a bank account.
Website: www.making-money-easier.info.
Resources for current and ex-service personnel
SSAFA Forces Help
Phone: 020 7403 8783
Website: www.ssafa.org.uk
Helps current and ex-service personnel and their divorced, widowed or separated spouses and partners. Provides a range of services, advice and support in areas such as social work, health, welfare and housing. Telephone for local branch.
