 Live 4 Less is a newsletter from Hull City Council filled with tips and ideas to help your money go further.
With the weather turning colder and the leaves falling from the trees, I always start to look towards Christmas at this time of year. Although Christmas is a happy time for many, it’s easy to overspend.
Often the first suggestion made to save money is to change gas and electricity suppliers. However, did you know you can still change gas and electric suppliers even if you are in debt to the supplier?
Since 2012, if your debt is below £500 per fuel, you can still switch suppliers.
You can also switch suppliers if you are on a pre-payment meter with a debt of less than £500 per fuel.
For more information, contact Ofgem or search online to compare tariffs.
Councillor John Hewit
Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Communities
|
Don’t let Christmas creep up on you this year
Follow these simple tips and reduce the New Year money hangover.
-
Budget. How you budget is up to you. Maybe you choose a budget per person or for presents or to include food and entertainment – it’s up to you. Take advantage of the many budget calculators online, try www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk, or use old fashioned pen and paper.
-
Claim. Visit www.entitledto.co.uk to check you are claiming everything you are entitled to. It’s simple and easy, fill in the online questionnaire, find out what benefits you can claim, see your results and understand your options.
-
Be careful. Fake goods, including clothing, DVDs or toys, can be dangerous or even contain hazardous substances. Take extra care when buying online or at markets and car boot sales. If something seems too good to be true, it’s probably fake. Contact Trading Standards for more information.
-
Leftovers. Every year we throw away around seven million tonnes of food. Learn to love your leftovers!
-
Vouchers and discounts. If you are shopping online you can use cashback sites and search for discount codes.
 Text HPP to 60999 to start saving money today.
Hull People’s Premium (HPP) is a friendly way to receive money saving ideas and tips to reduce your household spending. Because it is local to Hull it also provides information about relevant services and events that are available across the city.
Texts to Hull People’s Premium are charged at your standard network rate but it is free to receive texts. Please include your age and postcode (optional). Alternatively, you can also fill in a referral slip and hand it into a Hull City Council Customer Service Centre or Hull Advice, 2nd Floor of the Wilson Centre, Alfred Gelder Street.
 Do you live in a council house in Hull, working, paid monthly and struggling to keep on top of the bills?
Perhaps you've been in arrears and find managing your rent account a hassle? Hull City Council has teamed up with Hull and East Yorkshire Credit Union to launch a brand new account which can do all the work for you.
This is a free service for council tenants so you automatically set aside your rent as soon as you get paid each month and don't need to worry about it. You pick a convenient date for the payment to be made and tell the Credit Union what your rent is - they do the rest.
Interested? To find out more, please contact Hull and East Yorkshire Credit Union on (01482) 778 753.
Do you need an interest free loan?
For anyone who receives income support, employment & support allowance and Jobseekers allowance who have been claiming for 26 weeks or more, you can apply for an interest free loan that can be paid back out of fortnightly benefits.
A budgeting loan can be used for -
- furniture or household items
- clothing and footwear
- rent in advance or removal expense
- home improvements, maintenance or security
- travelling expenses
- help with looking for or starting work (including childcare costs)
- maternity or funeral expenses
- repaying Hire Purchase (HP) or other debts that have been taken out to pay for any of the above
To apply online visit www.gov.uk/budgeting-loans/how-to-claim
|
 A loan shark is someone who lends money without the appropriate license issued by the Office of Fair Trading.
Loan Sharks rarely, if ever, give any paperwork and if payments are missed they often use intimidation and violence to get money from their 'clients'. The Illegal Money Lending Team is here to help. If you have any information, however small, on loan shark activities we can help.
Ask yourself:
- Have you been offered a cash loan?
- Have you been threatened when you couldn't pay?
- Has your bank card been taken from you as a security?
- Does what you owe keep growing even though you are making payments?
If you can answer yes to any of the above then you may have been bitten by a loan shark. If you, or anyone you know, is experiencing any of the above or has any knowledge of loan shark activities then contact a specialist team IN CONFIDENCE.
They can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week on:
Telephone 0300 555 2222
email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk
or by text to: loan(space)shark(space) + your message to 60003
You can also find out more at www.facebook.com/stoploansharksproject
 20 October 2014 marks the start of the fourth Energy Saving Week; a national campaign to help people cut their fuel bills and get all the financial support they are entitled to with Hull & East Riding CAB taking part in a series of local events.
Hull Big Energy Saving Week focuses on raising awareness of energy and efficiency issues among the general public through joint working between the voluntary sector and energy suppliers.
Hull & East Riding CAB is also in the process of launching the Advice for the Future Campaign, promoting the benefits and impact of free advice across Hull and the East Riding. Help us highlight the value of the Citizens Advice service and increase awareness and support among the public and people who make decisions by signing our pledge online at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/adviceforthefuture
If you are on Twitter, you can keep up to date on events by following @HullandERCAB. Otherwise visit www.adviceguide.co.uk or your local office for help and information.
First Floor, The Wilson Centre
Alfred Gelder Street, HU1 2AG
Mon to Fri 9am - 4.30pm (except Wed from 11am)
|
 |
 “My money saving tip is to use my local Facebook selling page. I’ve had some amazing bargains and it’s free to list, so it’s great if you are selling things too”.
“My Christmas money saving tip is to only buy for the children in our family. I love giving the little ones toys and I don’t miss the bath sets and socks I used to receive”.
“My Christmas money saving tip is to buy one or two extra things for my Christmas treat cupboard with my weekly shop all the way through Autumn. It helps spread the cost of Christmas although it does test my willpower!”
 Get free internet access at any Hull City Council library or the Wilson Centre
General advice
Hull City Council
01482 300 300
www.hullcc.gov.uk/
Hull Advice
The Wilson Centre, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull
01482 300 303
Citizens Advice Bureau
08444 111 444
www.adviceguide.org.uk
Money Saving Expert
www.moneysavingexpert.com
Benefits
Benefits GOV.UK
www.gov.uk/browse/benefits
Debt and Money Management
Money Advice Service
0300 500 5000
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Citizens’ Advice Bureau
08444 111 444
www.adviceguide.org.uk
Step Change (CCCS)
0800 138 1111
www.stepchange.org
National Debtline
0808 808 400
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/
Turn2us
www.turn2us.org.uk
Debt Advice Foundation
0800 043 4050
www.debtadvicefoundation.org
Credit
Hull & East Yorkshire Credit Union
01482 778 753
www.hullandeycu.co.uk
Smarterbuys
www.smarterbuys.org.uk
Talk about debt
www.talkaboutdebt.co.uk
Housing
Lets Help You
https://hull.letshelpyou.co.uk/lets/
Hull City Council
01482 300 300
www.hullcc.gov.uk/housing
Hull Churches Home from Hospital Service (Vulnerable & older people
01482 447 673
www.hchfh.wordpress.com
Doorstep of Hull
01482 345 006
www.doorstep.org.uk
Energy
How to change your gas and electricity provider
www.ofgem.gov.uk
Energy Saving Tips
0300 123 1234
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Hull Warm Zone
01482 612 908
www.warmzones.co.uk/the-zones/hull
Older People Services
Age UK
01482 324 644
www.ageuk.org.uk
Hull Veterans Support Centre
www.hullveteranssupportcentre.org.uk
Befrienders team – Goodwin
01482 342 294
ehealth@goodwin-centre.org
http://goodwintrust.org/
First Stop
0800 377 7070 (from mobiles/overseas +44 203 519 6002) info@firststopadvice.org.uk
www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk
|
