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Advice & Support: Money Worries

General Advice: Money

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Money Saving Expert has broken down its advice into four categories; their site is regularly updated and they let you know what is new or has been changed:

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  • Guidance for employed & self-employed - this guide looks at your rights at work for the employed, self-employed and others, including who's eligible for furlough, and also what help is out there from the state. 

  • Help with finance and bills - many are worrying about paying their mortgages, rent and other bills. This guide runs through help for financial products and other bills. 

  • Life-in-lockdown help - many are worried about cancelled events, unused train tickets, subscriptions, gym memberships, postponed weddings, free school meals, MOTs and more. This guide looks at what lockdown could mean for you, plus your rights if you've been affected.

  • Coronavirus travel rights - answering questions on travel insurance, cancelling and booking holidays, and much more.

  • Emergency Contacts in Tower Hamlets: If you're in financial hardship at this time, click here for a list of emergency contact numbers. 

Income Support for the Self-Employed

The Government are running a Self-Employed Income Support Scheme which will pay 80% of profits for up to £2,500 per month. This is a non-repayable grant to support some whose profits have been hit by coronavirus. It will be paid from June and backdated.

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For more information try the following links:

Worried about your rent? 

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If you'll struggle to pay rent during the coronavirus outbreak you should speak to your landlord as soon as possible to let them know your situation and work out a repayment plan. Government guidance is "encouraging tenants and landlords to work together to put in place a rent payment scheme.”

 

The Government has said landlords in England and Wales will need to give three months’ notice before starting eviction proceedings. 

 

For information, read: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-support-available-for-landlords-and-renters-reflecting-the-current-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak

Income Support for Workers

Support for Workers:

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  • If you and your employer both agree, your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for you to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This is known as being ‘on furlough’. You could get paid 80% of your wages, up to a monthly cap of £2,500.

  • Sick pay: You can get £94.25 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)  if you’re too ill to work. It’s paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks.

  • If your salary is reduced as a result of these changes, you may be eligible for support through the welfare system, including Universal Credit

Useful links:

Toynbee Hall

 City Advice is a free advice service for people who live, work or study in the City of London.

call: 0207 392 2919

email: city.advice@toynbeehall.org

toynbeehall.org.uk

Tower Hamlets resident get help with benefits, housing or other COVID 19 related matters call: 0207 392 2953 or email:  advice@toynbeehall.org.uk 

Free legal advice email: flac@toynbeehall.org.uk

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Benefit Changes 

A number of changes to key benefits have been made in light of Covid-19. This briefing by Tower Hamlets Community Advice Network explains them in full.

 

They Include:

  • Changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP will now be made payble from the first day of absence if you are unable to work due to Coronavirus).

  • Universal Credit: From the 6th of April, the standard allowance will increase by approximately £20 per week to new and existing claims, and the minimum income floor has been lifted for anyone self-employed whilst claiming Universal Credit.

  • Universal Credit Advance Payments

  • Changes to Health Care Assessments and Job Centre appointments (all face to face appointments and assessments suspended).

Benefit Advice

Debt Advice

  • Step Change – some very helpful up-to-date advice for most situations if you're worried about debt: stepchange.org/debt-info/debt-and-coronavirus

  • Debt Camel - an easy to understand blog written by a debt expert with a number of good further links: debtcamel.co.uk/tag/coronavirus

  • Debt Free London- Call or WhatsApp message, for help with debt and moneyor visit Debt Free London for advice via web or video chat :  0800 808 5700

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