Debt and Finance

Are you unsure who to speak to about the benefits you can receive? 

Please visit the Universal Credit website if you need further information about your eligibility and advice and guidance

There are number of services that can give you free advice in Knowsley and nationally, some are also available for face to face meetings, such as the services listed here, the Knowsley  Citizen’s Advice Bureau have projects that can work with you, the Christians Against Poverty group and the Big Help Project. 

Nationally there are the following websites that can offer help:  Benefits information on Gov.uk; The Mix (formerly TheSite.Org) who provide support for 16-25 year olds and the Money Advice Service. If you are pregnant or have a child under four years old you may be entitled to Healthy Start vouchers to help buy some basic foods.  Try using the calculators at Entitledto and see if you can claim any other benefits.

If you are unsure about disability benefits there is some information available here.  

Information about Childcare benefits is available either from the Childcare Information Service or you can read about them here. 

If you are on a low income and have experienced an unexpected event which has left you with no food or fuel to heat your home, you may qualify for a minimum of 3 days support under the Council’s Emergency Support Scheme. You will be booked into a local foodbank where food is donated by local people and/or given a paypoint voucher for a set amount. Emergency Support Scheme 

The Smallwood Trust can offer women grants depending on circumstances, i.e. low income/benefits.

For a full list of all services on this site that may be able to help click here. 
 

Do you feel that you are struggling with debt or need help in managing your finances? 

The services above can help you check you are getting the benefits you need, many can also advise you how to handle your finances and manage your debts, this may involve speaking to your bank or taking out a loan through a credit union like Enterprise so you do NOT get involved with loan sharks.  The Youth Enquiry Service (Y.E.S.) provide young people aged 16-25 with Money & Debt advice as well as housing and benefit support.

For a ful list of all services on this site that may be able to help click here.

MerseyAid is dedicated to supporting refugees around the world and for local people in need of support.

Do you know who can help you to find work or learn new skills to earn more? 

There are a wide range of services that can help you to find employment or further training; we have a list of services here.  Amongst these are the following, for example if you are aged 16-19 you can first contact Career Connect and they will be able to help you create a CV, access apprenticeships, prepare you for a job and put you in contact with other services that can help.  Another service that can help this age group is the Knowsley Advice, Guidance and Support (KAGS) Team. 

If you are older you need to speak to your local Job Centre Plus to register for work. Then other services such as Knowsley Works can offer you a range of services from career guidance, job searching, CV’s, help in preparing you to get a job as well as sector specific courses.  You may consider registering with an employment agency to see if they can find you work. 

If you are interested in volunteering there is a Volunteer Centre in Knowsley that try to match volunteers with the right organisation.  Volunteering is a good way to improve your skill level and help with future job hunting. 

The Family and Community Education (FACE) service run a variety of courses that may be useful in helping you increase your skill level, e.g. Basic English & Maths as well as GCSE course, teaching assistant and Sage/payroll training.