Resources
In addition to our database of grant-makers, turn2us
has information on debt and money management, disability
benefits and carers -lots of really useful resources for
anyone facing financial difficulties. We also have links
to organisations that represent benvolent charities and help
raise awareness of their work.
Quick links
Debt
Disabilty Rights and Benefits
Carers
Young Carers
Organisations that support benevolent charities
Financial worries are one of the biggest causes of anxiety. They range from
rent and mortgage arrears to credit card bills, catalogue arrears and money
borrowed from family and friends.
If you don’t start to take control they will spiral causing you even more
distress.
There are two types of debt:
• debt you have to pay off, and
• debt
you can defer
Once you sort what you owe into these categories, you can start to prioritise
your finances.
Priority: debts you have to pay off
These aren’t always the biggest
debts. However, serious action can be taken against you if you don’t pay what
you owe.
Priority debts include things like:
• mortgages
• rent
• tax
• utility bills
• debts resulting from bankruptcy proceedings
• hire
purchase (HP) for essentials such as a car that you need to get to work.
In other words, anything that would make life difficult if it was taken away
from you.
• council tax
• maintenance and child support payments
If you fall behind with mortgage payments, your lender can take possession of
your house and sell it for whatever price they want. If what they sell it for
doesn’t cover the remaining debt you still have to pay the balance.
Falling behind with your rent means you could be evicted. Your landlord
can also take you to court for the money you owe.
The best policy is always honesty. If you are having difficulties
paying your mortgage or rent, tell your lender or landlord. In many cases,
repayments schemes can be worked out.
Not paying tax can lead to bankruptcy or even prison. Debts that result from
bankruptcy proceedings are high priority. Once proceedings start any
leeway from your other creditors will disappear. This is because they will
need to protect their debt from the other creditors.
Non-priority: debts you can defer
This doesn’t mean you won’t have to pay
them eventually: you can still be taken to court if you don’t pay what you owe.
While non-payment won’t mean you lose your home or you can’t get to work,
bailiffs can be used to seize the goods for which you owe money.
Examples include:
• credit card or store card arrears
• catalogue arrears
• bank
overdrafts and loans
• benefit overpayments
• money borrowed from family
or friends
• non-essential goods bought on HP such as TVs or Hi-Fi systems.
However, there is good news. Lots of help and advice about debt
management is readily available. Take a look at
directgov.co.uk. You’ll find information on the site about managing
debt and the consequences of non-payment.
There are links to other organisations that can help you such as:
National Debtline – a charity offering free, confidential and independent
advice on how to deal with debt problems. You can call their helpline on
0808 808 4000.
Citizens Advice Bureau – CAB can advise you on legal, money and other
problems. Information is free and there are over 3,000 offices around the
country.
Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) – funded by the credit industry,
it gives counselling on debt problems. You can ring their FREEPHONE
helpline which is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday on 0800 138 1111.
Credit Action Credit Action has produced a selfhelp guide. It is a practical
manual that offers clear, step-by-step advice on all the major difficulties:
- How to prepare a financial statement
- How to prioritise your debts
- How to negotiate with your creditors
- Where you can go for help
Now let's talk about money – The ‘now let’s talk money’ campaign
offers a free phone service, provided by the Government, to help people
on low incomes. When you call, you’ll learn where to go for affordable credit,
information about banking, or free face-to-face money and debt advice. The
organisations you’re referred to will keep everything you say private, and no
one will judge you – they just want to help. The number to ring is 0800
012 1656 and calls are free unless made from a mobile phone.
Don’t let your debts get out of control. Take action and get advice
now.
Disability rights is a complex issue which impacts on both the people who
need support and those who care for them. Below we list a brief guide to
AA and DLA and links to more detailed information from experts. As
with many income-related benefits, there is often a stigma attached to claiming
disability benefits. But we would urge you to persevere and get what you
deserve - it may not be easy or straightforward, but it will be worth it to get
the support you may need.
Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (From DWP’s The
Decision Makers' Guide):
Disability Living Allowance
DLA is a benefit which depends on a person’s need for care and help with
mobility arising from a disability. The effects of the disability rather than
the disability itself are the main considerations.
For example, disabled people who appear to have virtually full control over
all their faculties may have considerable care and mobility needs.
DLA is made up of two components
1. the care component,
2. the mobility component.
A disabled person may be entitled to one or both components. There is a range
of disability conditions relating to care and mobility needs. Satisfying any one
of the conditions gives entitlement.
There are three rates of care component and two rates of mobility component.
The rate of benefit payable depends on which of the disability conditions are
satisfied.
Attendance Allowance
AA is a benefit designed to help severely disabled people who need help from
another person in the form of:
1. attention
2. supervision
3. watching
over
There are two rates of AA:
1. the higher rate
2. the lower rate
Severely disabled people may be entitled to either of these rates. The rate
depends on the level of attention, supervision or watching over a person needs.
Complete a self assessment for Disability Living Allowance
Complete a self assessment for Attendance Allowance
Further information on disability benefits including, Incapacity Benefit and
Carers Allowance is available form
Benefits Now.
Another useful source of information is the
Disability Alliance. Authors of the Disability Rights Handbook, DA, a
national registered charity with the principal aim of relieving the poverty and
improving the living standards of disabled people. Their eventual aim is to
break the link between poverty and disability.
Disability Alliance provide information on social security benefits and tax
credits to disabled people, their families, carers and professional advisers;
undertake research into the needs of disabled people, with particular emphasis
on income needs and promote a wider understanding of the views and circumstances
of all disabled people.
Directgov has a section dedicated to disabled people covering a wide range
of topics:
Employment support
Home and housing options
Education and
training
Motoring and transport
Travel holidays and breaks
Financial
support
Health and support
Rights and obligations
Everyday life and
access
Caring for someone else
According to The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, a carer is someone, who,
without payment, provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend
or neighbour, who could not manage without their help. This could be due to age,
physical or mental illness, addiction or disability.
A young carer is a child or young person under the age of 18 carrying out
significant caring tasks and assuming a level of responsibility for another
person, which would normally be taken by an adult.
Anyone can become a carer; carers come from all walks of life, all cultures
and can be of any age. Many carers do not consider themselves to be a carer,
they are just looking after their mother, son, or best friend, just getting on
with it and doing what anyone else would in the same situation.
Why do carers need support?
Taking on a caring role can mean facing a life of poverty, isolation,
frustration, ill health and depression. Many carers give up an income, future
employment prospects and pension rights to become a carer. Many carers also work
outside the home and are trying to juggle jobs with their caring
responsibilities. The majority of carers struggle on alone and do not know that
there is help available to them. Carers say that access to information;
financial support and breaks in caring are vital in helping them manage the
impact of caring on their lives.
People from all walks of life and backgrounds are carers - over 3 in 5 people
in the UK will become carers at some time in their lives. Caring can be a
rewarding experience, yet many face isolation, poverty and ill-health (Carers
UK).
Directgov has a section dedicated to carers that covers a wide range of
topics
Caring and support
Caring for a disabled child
Carers and
employment
Carers rights
Money matters
Caring for someone who is
terminally ill
Health and taking a break
Young carers
Organisations and charities for carers
Here's a list of some of the organisations and charities providing support
and advice for carers.
Carers UK provides carers, those supporting them and others with national
and local information about benefits they are entitled to. Carers UK is the
voice of carers - those who give so much to society yet as a consequence of
caring, they experience ill health, poverty and discrimination.
Contact a Family is a UK-wide charity providing support, advice and
information for families with disabled children.
Crossroads - Caring for Carers
Crossroads provides 'in the home care' for
carers - improving the lives of carers by giving them time to be themselves and
have a break from their caring responsibilities. Their aim is to provide a
reliable service, tailored to meet the individual needs of each carer and the
person they are caring for. They have schemes in most parts of England and
Wales, which provide a range of services to meet local needs.
Counsel and Care is a registered charity providing a nationwide service for
older people and their carers. They are able to advise on a wide range of
subjects such as welfare benefits, accommodation, residential care, community
care and hospital discharge etc.
MacIntyre Care is a national charity that provides learning, support
and care for more than 700 children and adults with learning disabilities, at
more than 120 MacIntyre services across the UK. MacIntyre Care provides a
wide range of services including registered care homes, supported living
schemes, accredited training schemes and day services, as well as two
residential schools.
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is the largest provider of comprehensive
carers support services in the UK. Through its unique network of 129
independently managed Carers' Centres and interactive websites, Carers.org and
YC Net, The Trust currently provides quality information, advice and support
services to 290,000 carers, including just over 15,000 young carers.
Young Carers Net supports carers under the age of 18 who are looking after
someone who is sick or disabled. our supportive, online community of young
carers for discussion or for advice from their qualified youth workers.
Young carers are children who look after someone
in their family who has an illness, a disability, a mental health problem or a
substance misuse problem. Young carers take on practical and often emotional
caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult.
The caring can involve lots of physical care such as personal care for a
parent, giving medication, helping someone get up, get dressed or to get around.
Or it could mean providing emotional support for someone who has a mental health
problem or substance addiction. In addition, many young carers are also
responsible for looking after younger brothers and sisters and all or most of
the household chores.
Association of Charity Officers (ACO)
http://www.aco.uk.net/
ACO is an umbrella organisation of charities and benevolent funds which
offer help to individuals in need. ACO signposts individuals, and those
who advise them, to the most appropriate source of help. Their objects are to
promote for the public benefit the efficiency and effectiveness of charities,
particularly but not exclusively, those which relieve individuals in need, by
assisting in their better administration and promoting the sharing of
information and practices useful to these charities.
ACO's founding aim
was and remains to enable the principal officers of Charities to meet to discuss
mutual problems, take appropriate action on proposed legislation or its
subsequent effects, disseminate information, encourage mutual assistance and
foster the spirit of true service in the administration of charitable funds.
ACO provides: Advice and support, Campaigning, Consultations, Information,
Member directories, Networking, Newsletters, Policy development, Training
Membership is open to any registered or exempt charity giving
non-contributory relief to individuals in need. Membership is open to any
organisations interested in promoting the objects .
ACO, Five Ways, 57/59 Hatfield Road, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 1HS
Tel: 01707 651 777 Fax: 01707 660 477
email
ACO
Contact person: Valerie Barrow
Position: Chief Executive
Registered
charity number is 1118605 Company Limited by Guarantee Number 6113479
About Benevolence Today
www.benevolencetoday.org
Benevolence Today is a collaborative project of over 30 coalition
partners, that are all charities or friendly societies.
The purpose of our collaboration project is to raise awareness and
understanding of benevolence.
- We want to invite more individuals in need to apply for support from our
coalition partners.
- We want to build relationships and partnerships with other charities in
order to increase efficiency across the sector in referring customers to sources
of help
Where Help is Needed
Despite being one of the largest
economies in the world, poverty figures in the UK are still striking, and these
take no account of hidden poverty arising out of debt, old age, disability,
illness and other life crises.
The coalition partner charities which have come together in Benevolence Today
so far, currently help more than 26,000 individuals per year. While in
comparison with the much larger number of people in need this may seem like a
modest number, we can help more people.
Since we focus on the individual, each single person we can help is valuable
to us. When you are in need or have a crisis in life, you do not worry about the
other 11m people in need. We cannot help everybody, but can help more people
than we help now, so want to reach out to those who we can help.
How we Help
While our group of charities will never be
able to solve the problems surrounding poverty, care and illness, our tens of
thousands of beneficiaries each year are all individuals who would not have been
able to find help elsewhere.
While approximately half of our services
provide relief in a one-off situation of need, the other half of our
beneficiaries are often supported for a number of years. Benevolent charities
are known to show a personal interest in people that seems long gone in today's
fast moving society, and they receive a lot of positive feedback from
beneficiaries, friends and partners.
Become a Charity Partner
Is your charity providing
information or services to individuals in need? Whether you are a cancer,
homeless or a children's charity, you will often come across people in need who
could need some extra help.
Contact us and become an official charity
referral partner.
Email us and we will get back to you as soon as we can.