Brighton and Hove Council launches free money advice service for residents called Moneyworks.
THE SERVICE is designed to help the most vulnerable in the city deal with debt, manage money better, and avoid unscrupulous loan sharks.
A range of local agencies are involved, including Money Advice and Community Support (MACS) which has brought in £670,000 of financial benefits to tenants. The service has helped hundreds of Brighton and Hove council tenants with unclaimed or additional benefits, charitable payments, savings on household bills and write-off or rescheduling of some debts.
Paul (not his real name) benefited from the MACS service.
He said: “They did a lot. I’m happy I went along to the appointment. It took a lot of persuading to get me to go, but I am glad I did. Your help was very quick and you helped me to help myself again.”
Moneyworks Partnership spokesperson Paul Sweeting, added: “The cost of living has increased greatly over the last few years and many of our residents are really starting to feel the strain. We are now in a position to offer real practical help.”
Councillor Bill Randall, Chair of Housing for Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “This partnership of local agencies offers a real alternative to payday loans and the crippling interest rates that go with them. When Universal Credit is introduced thousands of people will be paying council tax for the first time and having to budget a month ahead rather than a week. They will also need to open and use a bank account for the first time.
Everything will be online which is going to prove very problematic for those who do not own computers or know how to access them. Moneyworks has a range of our best education providers across the city who will be running IT skills training and offering free computer access.”
Residents can get advice on a range of money issues by calling the Moneyworks Advice Line on 01273 809288 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday or from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.
The partnership is currently finalising details of drop-in sessions that will run across the city.
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