|
||||||
|
|
|
Additional text by Elisabeth Abbott, Diocese of Brentwood CJSR Administrator Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor writes about the credit crunch Managing with Less of Everything - Except Joy. Advice for those in ministry. The Catholic Agency for Supporting Evangelisation have developed spiritual resources for surviving the uncertainty created by the credit crunch.
|
Resources for Coping with the Credit Crunch We know all too well that the Credit Crunch is having an effect on all of us in some way or another. Here are some useful sources of help and advice for anyone currently experiencing difficulties. The first piece of advice and probably the most important is not to ignore problems in the hope that they will go away. They won’t! Look for help as soon as there is a problem. Lenders are happy to listen and advise, energy suppliers can suggest better tariffs. Advice is available so don’t be afraid to go and look for it. Facing Redundancy? | Finances | Food | Fuel | General | Housing | Living More Simply | Local Resources | Surviving Relationship Stress |Downloads Please note: the inclusion of external websites in this resource does not imply that FAMILIAS have approved their content. The
Citizen’s Advice
Bureau has put
together a special fact sheet to help people survive the credit crunch. It
contains ten top tips and links to benefits, grants and legal advice and
information: Despairing or Suicidal? Call the Samaritans 08457 909090 The BBC website has a page of links on How To Cope During The Downturn including a . As
you will have seen in the media the government is changing the rules on a
lot of the benefits claimed by people who are unemployed or long term sick
or disabled. Make sure that you get up to date information if you are
applying for benefits, allowances or tax credits. Most
Benefits and Allowances are administered by the Department of Work and
Pensions. (DWP), for more information go to www.dwp.gov.uk
Local Citizens Advice Bureaus can also help. The Brentwood Diocesan
Commission for Justice and Social Responsibility has produced a handbook
which has been distributed to parishes and schools in the Brentwood
Diocese. You can also download it from www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/cjsr
To
find out which benefits you may be able to claim go to www.entitledto.com.
The site will ask for some basic details and help you to calculate what
might be available to you. In
too deep? Need some help managing debt? Call the National
Debtline for
free, confidential and independent advice 0808 808 4000 or visit www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
Starting
to worry? Need to look at where your money goes? For a free
financial health check
or help setting a monthly budget go to Money
Made Clear. This website
provided by the Financial Services Authority, a government funded agency,
offers a lifecycle approach to financial advice www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk To find
out the real cost of loans and credit cards go to www.whatsthecost.com.
This website will help you to find out the cost of your borrowing and may
help you to find less expensive ways to cover your bills. Desperate
for cash right now? Stay away from the loan sharks – join
a credit union
instead. Search
for one near you Fed
up with still being offered more personal loans? Campaign
against irresponsible credit at www.debt-on-our-doorstep.com/ Support others in your parish by running Care for the Family’s The Money Secret Adult Education Course, written for use in small group teaching sessions, evening classes, community courses and church study groups. It contains new material to bring the central debt-busting message of Rob Parson’s The Money Secret book to life in life-changing and original ways. www.themoneysecret.info Delia
Smith has teamed up with CAFOD to republish her classic recipe book Frugal
Food which aims
to help families eat well but cheaply. Support
CAFOD by buying the book directly from them @£17 plus postage –
or go to your local library to see if they still have a copy on their
shelves for free. Tackle the winter cold and learn how to Keep Warm Keep Well. These free guides for people over 60, for families and for people with disabilities for long term health conditions are available from http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/keepwarmkeepwell/index.html Check
with your energy provider and make sure you are on the best tariff for
you. Duel fuel deals and paying by Direct Debit could help you save money.
Look at some of the smaller suppliers who can offer better deals than the
‘Big 6’. E-on offers a tariff called Stay Warm for people over 60. It
fixes a price for the year dependent on the size of your house and how
many people live there. Local
Authorities have a statutory responsibility to help anyone who is made
homeless. If you think you are facing the possibility of losing your home,
act early on and call Shelter’s National Helpline on 0808 800 4444, or
visit their website at http://england.shelter.org.uk
You will find advice on all aspects of housing and homelessness. The
Commission for Justice and Social Responsibility handbook also has a
comprehensive section on Housing and Homelessness, check with your parish
or school who should have a copy or download from www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/cjsr Make
your money go further and keep unwanted items out of the landfill sites by
joining Freecycle.
Freecycle enables you to offer your unwanted belongings to others who can
make good use of them. In return you can take advantage of other’s
generosity and save yourself some money. Find out more about the Freecycle
Network at www.freecycle.org/
Trade
in your own talents and assets for someone else’s. Local
Exchange Trading Schemes
enable all sorts of services ands good to be provided without the need for
money. Visit LETSLINK Take a
look at the Livesimply campaign www.livesimply.org.uk/
There are five challenges, one of them is ‘lifestyle’. Making changes
at home will help you financially and will help communities across the
world. www.lowbudgetliving.co.uk offers a range of advice and features on how to save money, with tips on how to live on a low budget. Take a look to see if any of the advice on this website can help you and your family live more simply. PRACTICAL
HELP AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA The
St Vincent de Paul
Society run a
range of local projects offering practical help and assistance to people
in need. Visit
their website or contact your local parish priest to find out
what’s available locally. Check
with your parish for neighbourhood support groups and with your Local
Authority for support initiatives for older people or people with
disabilities. SURVIVING
RELATIONSHIP STRESS Are you experiencing additional parenting challenges? Do you need help reconciling your children to the changes in your family’s financial circumstances? A number of church groups offer parents the opportunity to meet together regularly and brush up on skills that are proven to resolve differences and reduce conflict at home. Here are a few links to useful contacts: Diocese
of Cardiff Parent Support: Diocese
of Hallam Parenting Support Diocese
of Leeds Parenting Support Diocese
of Plymouth Patchwork Parenting Project Diocese
of Shrewsbury See
also
Diocese of Westminster Grants to individuals and organisations to ease hardship, deprivation and poverty in London |
