Helpful Resources

Please see a selection of helpful resources to support your clients below.

If there is something which you think should be added, please email your suggestion to [email protected]. 

Banking Resources - information about opening a bank account 
Citizens Advice How to open a Bank account
Money Saving Expert MoneySavingExpert's Guide to opening a Basic Bank Account. A guide to the best basic bank accounts for people with poor credit who can't get (or don't want) standard bank accounts. 
Benefit Calculators - make sure you're not missing out on benefits with these free online checkers
Entitledto Use our free benefits calculator to find out what you're entitled to
Gov.UK Gov.uk Guide to benefits calculators
Turn2Us The Turn2us Benefits Calculator
Budgeting, Saving and Scams
Money Helper Interactive: Budget planner - Use the free online MoneyHelper Budget Planner tools to work out how much money you have coming in and what you are spending it on:  
Money Helper What to do if you’re worried about your energy bills after the price cap rise announcement. If you’re wondering how your household finances are going to be affected over the
coming months, find out about the Ofgem energy price cap rise, Council Tax bills rebate and what other help the UK government has announced. 
Money Helper Interactive: Bill Prioritiser - Our quick, easy-to-use Bill prioritiser helps you understand which bills and payments to deal with first and how to avoid missing any payments 
Money Helper Living on a squeezed income: whatever is going on in your life, there are ways to make your income go further. Learn how to cut back on costs and see what extra help is available. 
Money Helper Information: Help with scams - Guidance for spotting, avoiding and recovering from scams. 
Money Helper Information: Making a savings habit - How do you make savings a part of your life? 
Debt and Borrowing
Money Helper Information: Do you need to borrow money? Planning a big purchase or need some extra cash? Borrowing might seem like the obvious solution but there could be a better option. 
Money Helper Interactive: Dealing with debt - Our debt guidance can help you beat your money worries and find free debt advice near you. 
Money Helper Interactive: Where to get free debt advice - If you are struggling with debt, it can be hard to know where to turn. But with lots of free advice services available across the UK, you can find help in a way that is best for you. 
Money Helper Interactive: Money Navigator Tool - The coronavirus restrictions have affected millions of people and things are taking a while to recover. What this means for your finances will be very personal to you. So, if you are looking for money guidance but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. 
Money Helper Information: Help with rent or mortgage arrears -  Help if you are struggling with your mortgage or rent payments and information on government support if you can't pay your mortgage. 
Money Helper Information: Alternatives to payday loans -  Before getting a payday loan, make sure you’ve stopped to consider these alternatives. 
Money Helper Information: Loan Sharks - Loan sharks are illegal, dangerous and can resort to intimidation or violence. Read our guide to find out how to avoid them by considering other options. 
Financial Education
 Money Helper Talking about money: If you need to talk to someone about money but aren’t sure how it will go, this guide will help you get started. Guidance to help you have those tricky conversations with friends and family about money. 
 Money Helper Talking to children about money: Parents and carers play a crucial role in helping their children gain the money skills they
need.
 Money Helper Improving your credit rating 
Grant Search - find out if money is available for specific issues
Citizens Advice Grants to help pay energy bills
Citizens Advice Help for home improvements
Gov.UK Claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
Gov.UK Apply for a Test and Trace Support Payment
Gov.UK Access to work grant
Gov.UK Disabled Facilities Grant
Gov.UK Sure Start Maternity Grant
Turn2Us Turn2Us Grant search
Mental Health and Coronavirus
Public Health England Guidance for the Public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of the Coronavirus
Mental Health Foundation Looking after your Mental Health during the Coronavirus outbreak
MIND Coronavirus and your Wellbeing
Samaritans Advice if you are worried about your Mental Health during the Coronavirus outbreak
Mental Health Toolkits and Sources of Support
Citizens Advice PIP mobility and Mental Health: the rules for getting the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mobility component have changed. You can now apply for it if you have a mental health condition that makes it difficult for you to plan or take a journey.
MIND Information from MIND aimed at helping friends, family, carers and others to give support and take care of themselves too.
MIND MIND's Guide to Support and Services. This is a useful A-Z for a range of Mental Health issues.
MIND eLearning: MIND's Mental Health for Small Workplaces aims to build confidence in thinking and talking about mental health.
Money Saving Expert MoneySavingExpert's Free Guide to Mental Health and Debt (download) covers how to handle debts when unwell, work with banks, free debt counselling, whether to declare a condition and more.
NHS How are you feeling today NHS? A toolkit to check your own wellbeing or speak to and support colleagues with their emotional wellbeing.
Public Health England Public Health England's "Every Mind Matters" aims to make it easier for everyone to look after their own wellbeing and improve their mental health, by providing a digital hub full of advice, tips and resources and a new online tool to help everyone create their own action plan.
Rethink Mental Illness Click here for details of how to access Re-Think's "Mental Health in the Workplace Employers' Toolkit". It aims to help support employers to develop the knowledge to support the mental health of their workforce.
The Money and Pensions Service Money problems and poor mental wellbeing
Money Management
The Money and Pensions Service Borrowing and credit
The Money and Pensions Service Budgeting guidance
The Money and Pensions Service Buying a home/mortgages
The Money and Pensions Service Debt Advice Locator Tool
The Money and Pensions Service Help managing debt
The Money and Pensions Service How to save money on household bills
The Money and Pensions Service Insurance
The Money and Pensions Service Managing money in uncertain times: help if you are worried about missing payments, talking to creditors, living on a squeezed income and benefits
The Money and Pensions Service Protecting yourself from fraudsters
The Money and Pensions Service Savings
The Money and Pensions Service Starting a family
Pensioners
Age UK Paying for Residential Care
The Money and Pensions Service Pensions
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Citizens Advice Help with your PIP claim
pipinfo More Information about claiming PIP
Universal Credit
Gov.uk Universal Credit Guidance and Information from Gov.uk
Gov.uk Understanding Universal Credit
Useful advice and definitions
Gov.uk Benefit Cap Guide
Utilities
Money and Pensions Service Updated guidance for people struggling with energy bills can be found here.
Wessex Water Affordability schemes: Find out more about our wide range of support schemes and how to apply.
Wiltshire Services
Warm and Safe Wiltshire

Warm and Safe Wiltshire are a great source of information and have a range of funding and grants (food, fuel, replacement heating systems etc.)

Wiltshire Council Your Care Your Support is an online directory of care and support services in Wiltshire. You can use it to find local social activities, care and support providers, help around the home, financial advice, information on health and wellbeing and more to help you to live independently.