The Credit Crunch - help with home finances and making ends meet!
This Wealden Credit Crunch web page aims to provide you with an easy guide to the help that is available in Wealden to help you balance your budget at home.
For many of us it's a difficult time trying to make ends meet - paying the mortgage, the rent or meeting high fuel bills. If you are in difficulty, start dealing with your debt now:
- List all the companies and people you owe money to, how much and who you should pay first.
- List all your income and expenses. Be honest and make sure the amounts are realistic.
- Sort out your priority debts such as mortgage, rent, fuel, food, council tax, income tax.
- Never ignore letters or phone calls from these organisations. Get in touch with them as early as possible and explain why you are having difiiculties.
- Ask them to agree a repayment plan.
- Work out how to deal with your non-priority debts. This will depend on whether you have any money left over from dealing with your priority debts and paying for essential expenses like food.
Click on any of the links below, or call the numbers listed for expert help on dealing with your debt problem.
Childcare costs and Working Tax Credits
Useful links to other organisations
- Managing your debts - Wealden Citizens Advice can help or call 01825 764940
- Loan Sharks - contact the specialist illegal money lending team or view the Stop Loan Sharks advice document (pdf 34kb)
- On a low income? Community Legal Advice might be able to help
- Dealing with Debt and Managing your Money Fact Sheet (pdf 394kb)
- Top ten tips to save energy costs
- Grants for home insulation and heating
- Fuel bills and switching supplier to get the best rates
- Quick Action Guide to cutting fuel bills
- Leaflets and guides
- Save Energy, Save Money Fact Sheet (pdf 391kb)
- £3 Family Feast (pdf 3,352 kb) low cost healthy recipes developed by the Community Chef
- Love food hate waste (external link) some easy practical everyday things in the home we can do to waste less food
- Mysupermarket (external link) compare supermarket prices and shop online
- Using your car
- Bus passes (concessionary fares)
- Free car sharing scheme or call 01273 481000
And now some useful external links to other organisations
Local
- Wealden Citizens Advice
- Energy Efficiency Hotline, call 01323 443321 or 01323 443279
- Freecycle - give away your old stuff and get new!
National
- Community Legal Advice - debt advice for those on a low income, or call 0845 345 4345
-
National Debtline or call 0808 808 4000
- BBC How to cope during the downturn
- Driving tips from the Energy Savings Trust (PDF, 31kb)
- Money Saving Expert - a free site packed with useful money saving tips
- Moneysupermarket - compare thousands of products and services
- uSwitch - find the best deal for your utilities
- Kelkoo and Pricerunner - compare prices on a range of products
- Credit Card Comparison - compare cards and apply online
Is there anything else we can do to help? If so please contact us: foodandsafety@wealden.gov.uk
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