Money advice

If you are in debt, the first step is to ask for help and seek support. We have a dedicated team of Financial Inclusion Officers who can provide you with advice and support on managing debt, claiming benefits, and budgeting advice. They are qualified Debt Advisors and are here to help. You can contact our Financial Inclusion team on 0800 028 0350. 

Our officers are available to visit residents at home or appointments are available at our head office. At your first appointment you will be asked a lot of personal questions around your income and expenditure, but this is so that we can work with you to work out a plan of how best to help you.

Independent and free debt advice is also available from:

• Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB) Plymouth - 08082787910. Plymouth CAB also run several advice drop-in services at various locations across the city. Check out their calendar on their website.
• Advice Plymouth also hold a drop-in Service at Ernest English House. More information about this service can be found on their website.
• StepChange- 08001381111. Information can be found on their website: StepChange Debt Charity. Free Expert Debt Help & Advice
• National Debtline 08088084000. Information can be found on their website: Free Debt Support | National Debtline

If you are currently not in debt, one thing that could help is trying to put a little bit of money back each month into a savings account for those unexpected emergencies. For example, this might help to prevent the need for debt if you require to replace any essential appliances like your cooker or furniture items such as beds.

You might qualify for a Help to Save account from the Government if you are in receipt of Universal Credit and are working. The Help to Save account provides a bonus for those who regularly save over a 2 – 4-year period. More details about how the account works and eligibility requirements can be found on the Government website.

If you are currently in receipt of Housing Benefit, you can continue to receive this for help towards your rent if there are no changes in your circumstances that mean you would have to apply for Universal Credit.

If you do not currently receive Housing Benefit, unless you are of pension credit age, you cannot make a new claim for Housing Benefit and need to claim Universal Credit instead.

You can do your own benefit check at entitled to.

Universal Credit is for people of working age, designed to top up your income to a minimum level and help you with your housing costs (rent and some service charges). It is for people on a low to moderate income. It does not matter whether you are working or not, or the reason why you are not working.

Universal Credit replaces these benefits:

• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Universal Credit does not include help with your Council Tax. You must claim Council Tax Support separately from Plymouth City Council.

Universal Credit is paid in one lump sum and on a monthly basis, and includes help to pay your rent. This help isn’t paid separately, like Housing Benefit. The Universal Credit is paid straight to you, so you have to pay your rent out of this money.

Most people will get the same amount of money as they would have under the benefits listed above – it just looks like more because of the benefits all being paid together, including help with rent, and is paid monthly, all at once.

It is important to budget when getting Universal Credit payments. As they are paid monthly in arrears, you will need to keep enough money back to make sure you pay your monthly rent, other household bills and living expenses.

Visit the Government website for the latest information on Universal Credit.

The benefit cap is a limit on the total amount of certain benefits you can get if you are of working age.

It will only affect you if you’re getting housing benefit or Universal Credit. If the cap affects you, your housing benefit or Universal Credit is reduced.

Visit the Government website for the latest information on the benefit cap including amounts and benefits included.

If you live in any council or housing association property and have one or more spare bedrooms that are now in use, your housing benefit or universal credit may be reduced.

You can calculate if you are affected by the bedroom tax by using a bedroom tax calculator.

Tenancy fraud can take place when someone gives false information or statements to apply for a home resulting in being offered a home which could have gone to someone in greater need.

Fraud can also happen during the tenancy. This can include subletting their home to someone else, exchanging tenancy without permission, during Right to Buy, mutual exchange, succession and insurance. 

It may also be tenancy fraud if a PCH tenant is not using their tenancy as their main or principle home - this could include where a property has been abandoned.

If you suspect tenancy fraud, report it to us here. We will typically investigate this, along with the fraud team at Plymouth City Council.