"Making Money Easier" - a new toolkit of accessible financial information
In the current economic climate, building financial capability has never been more important. And that includes building financial knowledge and awareness amongst the 1.5m people with learning disabilities in the UK who are often effectively excluded from mainstream financial services by a lack of simple, accessible financial information.
Why is this important? Because people with learning disabilities have significant spending power, especially as more and more are supported - through individual budgets - to manage their own money, live in their own property and pay directly for the services they receive. However, real financial independence and choice can only be made possible if people are able to access the range of financial services which others take for granted.
To bridge the gap, national disability charity United Response has been working with the umbrella body ARC and funders including the Friends Provident Foundation, the Now Let's Talk Money Campaign and HSBC to create a range of brand new accessible resources under the banner "Making Money Easier".
And, whilst the resources were designed primarily for people with learning disabilities and their supporters, feedback has already shown that they would also be invaluable to people with lower levels of literacy, those without English as a first language, young people learning about banking and indeed anyone who struggles with their finances. Ultimately, we believe that everyone will benefit from easier financial information.
The Making Money Easier guides are available online at www.making-money-easier.info, and can be downloaded in pdf format as as four separate booklets by clicking on the titles below:
Choosing and opening a bank account
Explaining some of the words used in banking
Your money - Your home - a guide to money for people living independently
To order hard copies of all or any of the booklets, please contact Diane Lightfoot at United Response, tel. 020 8246 5201 or email Diane.Lightfoot@unitedresponse.org.uk
