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We have created a new
money advisor role in
partnership with
Erewash Borough
Council to support
local residents with
money advice,
budgeting, priority
debts and support with
creditors.
If you need support to claim
benefits, or are struggling to
pay your bills, heat your
home or feed your family,
contact them for advice and
support. They are trained to
understand the welfare
reformchanges and how they
will impact on you.
The money advisors will be
able to provide you with the
following services:
e
Support to claim UC and
other benefits
e
Access to the internet to
make a claim either in
our offices or remotely
(subject to internet coverage
by our existing provider)
e
Advice on how to budget
monthly
e
Advice on how to
manage any debts you
already have
e
Support to open a bank
account.
For help, advice or
support on any of the
above areas please visit
our website or call us
on 0300 123 6000.
Money Advice
in Erewash
Universal Credit
goes live in Erewash
on 10 May 2017.
Universal Credit is the new
all-in-one system for working
age benefits.
10 MAY
If you need to make a
new claim for any
benefits – jobseeker’s
allowance, employment
support allowance,
working tax credits,
child tax credit, housing
benefit or income
support - after this date,
you will be required to
claim Universal Credit
(UC) instead.
Your claim must be made
online but don’t worry if you
don’t have access to a
computer. You can use one at
either your local Job Centre
Plus or the Town Hall in
Long Eaton or Ilkeston, and
there will be people there who
are happy to help you.
It will take about seven weeks
for you to receive your UC
payment. For this reason, we
recommend that you have
some money set aside to
pay your bills and buy food
during this time. You can
request an interim payment
of UC during this period, but
you will have to repay it
through deductions from
your benefit payments before
you receive the money.
You must also ensure that
you tick the box that says you
are responsible for housing
costs when making your
claim, even though you may
have previously received
housing benefit direct to your
landlord in the past.
This will ensure that you receive
the money to cover some or all
of your rent. The funds will be
paid directly into your bank which
you must pay to emh homes.
It is really important that you
contact us to confirm that
you are claiming UC to prevent
us from taking further action
against you. If your rent
account falls into arrears of
more than eight weeks, we will
contact UC to request that
your rent payments are made
direct to us, and that
additional money is deducted
from your personal element of
UC to clear the arrears
outstanding.
If you need help or support with
making a UC claim, managing
your money, or are worried
about debts you owe, please
contact us for help and advice
on
0300 123 6000
.
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NEWS