Meet Thomas: Living Without Basic Home Appliances

In a 2018, Turn2us conducted a survey of 2,000 people earning below the national income and it was found that 49% of them were living without a washing machine along with other basic appliances. For people living without home washing machines, it is 2561% more expensive to use a launderette and can lead to a number of different issues in peoples lives. 

28-year-old Thomas, struggling with his confidence approached Citizens Advice Halton to get some support with food vouchers. After sitting down and speaking with him, Thomas shared that he had a mild form of cerebral palsy and due to not having a washing machine had to make regular trips to the laundrette with heavy bags which worsened his condition. 

Being declined a disability bus pass also meant that he was spending much more money than he could afford on the journeys. The effects of living without basic appliances can go beyond financial capability and can start to risk physical and mental health. Looking further into the full impact of living without basic appliances, many people in the survey spoke about the issue of cleanliness and the stigma of having to wear unclean clothing. Frequent handwashing was also leaving a negative effect on people’s lives with overall poor hygiene being a catalyst for depression and anxiety. 

Since joining Better Off Finance, Thomas has now been able to secure a washing machine in his home. “Now that I have a washing machine, I can see that my mental health & wellbeing has significantly improved”

Through 1-2-1 support and working through the programme with his keyworker Kerry, he began to work on his financial planning through budgeting and spending diaries and after reapplying for the disability bus pass was finally granted one for 5 years. He was also able to apply for warm home discount, a government scheme giving extra help to people struggling with energy bills and was awarded a £140 discount.

Thomas at Citizens Advice Halton

Thomas now feels like he’s turning a corner through the encouragement of the project: “I am more in control of my bills, Kerry set out a monthly plan and contacted creditors to set dates up for payments when I was paid my PIP and universal credit.”

Thomas now has a full-time job and is continuing to progress himself: “The best thing about Better Off Finance is the trust I had in my Key Worker Kerry to feel comfortable and not judged. I’ve told my sister about the project and she’s now going to sign up for support too”

If you're struggling with living without basic household items and you need some help, get in touch with us and we'll show you how we can support you. 

About us:

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. 

This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.

Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:

Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work

Access employability sessions within the programme

Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity

Progress into training and education opportunities

Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.

Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The Big Lottery Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative

Becky Takes First Steps Towards a Positive Future

After fleeing her partner due to domestic violence, Becky was left struggling with her household budget and was now living alone in a property with her young daughter, panicked by income deductions. 

Having built up rent arrears due to moving over to Universal Credit, Becky was desperate for support after her second-hand home appliances had become faulty and since she wasn’t able to afford to replace them, it started to cause her physical and mental health conditions. 

Becky told us “I tried attending a number of places to get help with my appliances, eventually I came across Citizens Advice who referred me to the Better Off Finance team, if it wasn’t for them, I would have given up”

Through receiving 1-2-1 support from a key worker, She was able to start understanding Universal Credit, record her income and expenditure and crucially have support to apply for grants to replace her appliances. 

“Life has been made easier for me and my daughter and feel like I know how to approach situations now. I’m more confident asking about things and not worrying about getting turned away”

The programme has helped Becky secure £695 worth of grants to replace her appliances which has started to make life for her and her daughter a lot easier. Now ready to begin a fresh chapter in her life, She now has the skills to budget and has started to recommend the programme to her family. 

If you're on a low income and you're struggling with living costs, you can read more about what support you could have access to over at Citizens Advice:

 https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/if-youre-struggling-with-living-costs/

About us:

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. 

This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.

Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:

Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work

• Access employability sessions within the programme

• Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity

• Progress into training and education opportunities

• Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.

Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative

Forced to Work: Tackling Modern Day Slavery

If you hear about slavery, you would probably think about the exploitation of human rights that was abolished in the 19th century, but in fact, slavery still exists today. It’s hard to accept that this practice is still a reality all over the world, with an estimated 40.3 million people in modern day slavery. 

Modern day slavery can take shape in many forms, from being forced to work, being owned or controlled by an ‘employer’ to being physically constrained without freedom of movement. It affects people of any age, race or gender but most commonly those who are vulnerable are being taken advantage of. Originally from Eastern Europe, Karl approached his local Citizens Advice to get support settling back into the community after being a victim of trafficking into the UK. 

Forced into illegal practices and made to work in a car wash for little or no pay, Karl had spent 7 years living in squalor with physical and mental abuse before being rescued by police intervention and brought to a safe house by the Salvation Army. 

After visiting Citizens Advice for a food voucher, it was quickly established that Karl could benefit from extra support with finding full time employment and managing a budget. Due to Karl’s status in the UK as a job seeker he was unable to claim any benefits, meaning it was vital for him to find employment to support himself.

Since enrolling onto the programme, the key workers over at Citizens Advice have been able to support Karl to update his CV and apply for potential jobs. The programme was able to support him to understand contracts, and secure expenses for clothing. 

The Key Worker also spoke to him about the courses he would have access to during Better Off Finance. Karl completed the My Turn training to build his confidence and went onto receive an accredited qualification for attending the Money Mentor ‘Become a Savvy Consumer’ training. 

Often struggling with feeling alone and isolated that has impacted on his overall health, Karl has relished working in a group environment with people who have been supportive and empathised with his situation, he said: “Since I’ve engaged on the project my confidence has increased. The project has given me so much practical support but has also restored my faith in human nature with welcoming smiles and people’s willingness to listen”

Since completing the programme, Karl is now engaged in full time employment and is looking forward to his future.

About us:

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. 

This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.
Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:
Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work

• Access employability sessions within the programme
• Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity
• Progress into training and education opportunities
• Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.

Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative

Sarah Controls Her Finances Thanks To Better Off Finance

Sometimes it’s the simple changes that can make the biggest difference, especially when it comes to our finances. Getting the ball rolling when starting to budget can be difficult but in the long term can have a huge impact on how you spend. Our key workers at Better Off Finance are experts in knowing what changes can be made to start the journey to a positive debt free future. 

Struggling with her budget and looking to get a better understand of her money and the ways she could save, Sarah approached citizens advice Wirral where she found out all about how the Better Off Finance programme could improve her financial savviness.

Sitting down with Sarah, she looked at the simple changes that can be made like looking at gas/electric comparisons, looking at contents insurance to make sure household personal possessions are fully covered for repairing or replacing and we looked at opening a credit union account.

Sarah is now in control of her debt: “I am more positive, happy and confident knowing my finances are under control and being managed better with the amount I can afford to pay”

Alongside receiving financial advice she has been able to meet new people and also get some great tips on how to save for the future. “I think people should really think about coming onto the programme, I like how talking about finances isn’t made scary or serious and the group can have a good laugh whilst doing it”

Since attending the programme, she will now be going on to volunteer at Wirral point in Birkenhead as a receptionist.

“The Key Worker who ran the programme was brilliant at delivering the contents and information, extremely friendly and was easy to approach”

About us:

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. 

This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.
Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:
Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work

• Access employability sessions within the programme
• Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity
• Progress into training and education opportunities
• Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.


Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative

Danielle Can See a Clear Future Thanks to Better Off Finance

Worrying about debts piling up and having just had her benefits sanctioned, Danielle was told about the Better Off Finance Programme in Halton Citizens Advice and decided it was time she took control of her finances and gave it a go.

Recently, we spoke about how debt can have detrimental effect on a person’s mental health and how it can make a person’s behaviour to change dramatically during the period of poor health. Feeling vulnerable due to mental health, Danielle felt she was unable to engage with the working programmes she had been sent on by the Job Centre leaving her to live on just £277 per month and was struggling to make ends meet.  

Being able to sit down one to one and engage with a Better Off Finance key worker meant that Danielle was able to figure out ways to increase her income and take the appropriate actions that saw her sanctions removed which has left her with a much better outlook on life:

“My mental health and relationship with my 12-year-old son has improved since going through the programme due to having more money coming into the family”

Completing the programme full of confidence, she now engages with work programmes to help her into employment and recently completed an employability course with Riverside.

“I really liked the one to one support and being able to have direct contact with my key worker, Gill. It’s really helped my confidence and I was so glad to get help with my sanction”

Struggling with poor mental health for many years, Danielle found it hard to manage her finances and is now able to breathe easier with an increased income and has more knowledge about her universal credit claims online.

“I have so much more confidence than before! I would definitely recommend it as I can now see a future for me and my son. I really want to get into work, and now I can start to think about it as I’m starting to manage my debts.”

Thanks to Danielle for sharing her story, we're excited about what your future holds. 

About us:

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. 

This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.

Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:

Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work

• Access employability sessions within the programme
• Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity
• Progress into training and education opportunities
• Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.

Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The Big Lottery Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative

Marie Boosts Her Self-Esteem Leaving Her Financially Better Off

The Better off Finance Programme came into Marie’s life, just when she needed it- not only improving her budget but, heightening her confidence to match. 

Struggling with the prospect of several years out of work, Marie's self esteem was interfering with getting back into employment. After previously leaving education with less qualifications than hoped, the only barrier stopping her from retaking these subjects- was herself.

Taking the first positive step, she enrolled on the Better Off Finance Programme after advice to attend from the Citizens Advice. Being able to access this kind of support, she began to enjoy the prospect of starting more courses and reaped the benefits out of each session. Marie completed My Turn And WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Planning) courses, beaming with knowledge and future prospects.

It was fear and confidence that she soon realised was holding her back from taking the necessary first steps towards moving into employment. The prospect of new people and new surroundings would overwhelm Marie, preventing the ambition to feel comfortable in new employment. However, attending programmes was the spring board to meet like minded individuals, potentially struggling with the same fears and troubles.

These programmes became a confidence enhancer, making find her voice and her feet in group settings and new people. In her own words being a woman who didn’t know how to discuss her opinions, embarked in new conversations feeling content and safe to do so.

'Managing me' run by the Next Chapter course, opened Marie’s awareness into herself, and the platform to then set goals and strategies to help manage anxiety. Taking volunteering on twice a week at a food bank and charity shop, she gained tremendous confidence in feeling safe around others, and her skill set continued to grow. 

Taking the small successful steps to slowly gain the confidence and esteem to now be enrolled in study and gain the qualifications that Maria aspires to have. In the mean time accessing support to write a CV and confidently looking for employment.

"Having someone supporting and encouraging me left me feeling like I was able to do things for myself."

About us: 

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.

Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:

           Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work

·         Access employability sessions within the programme
·         Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity
·         Progress into training and education opportunities
·         Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.

Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The Big Lottery Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative

Better Off Finance Inspires Catharine to Pursue Business Dream

Feeling overwhelmed with the complexity of the benefits system, Catharine used to avoid looking into her finances alone. Now, with support from Better Off Finance Catharine has become financially savvy and confident to start her own business. It seems that for Catharine, the only way is up! 

Having left her teaching job due to illness in 2011, Catharine was unemployed for 7 years and receiving job seekers allowance, feeling unable to progress with her business dream. Joining the Better Off Finance programme gave Catharine the time, space and advice to assess her monthly outgoings and work out where she could become more money-smart.

Better Off Finance programme supports people to improve their financial capability and prepare and progress into sustainable employment, or access training opportunities. Feeling anxious whenever she tried to look in to her finances alone, Better Off Finance ensured Catharine was utilising the support she was eligible for.

With her key worker’s support, Catharine managed to save £100 a month; “I really feel like he has given me tools for life to maximise my income and minimise my outgoings, I always tended to bury my head when it came to this stuff – now I have the confidence to find and negotiate better deals for monthly necessities”.

Regaining control of her personal finances, Catharine felt empowered to begin thinking about employment opportunities and the next step forward. Often the scariest thing about pursing a business-dream is the reality of becoming a business-owner. Catharine knew her passion but didn’t believe she had the enterprise skills or experience to turn that passion into a business – and that’s where Enterprise Hub came in.

Head over to The Women's Organisation blog to hear more of Catharine's story.

If you’d like to find out more about Better Off Finance or Enterprise Hub, contact us on 0151 706 8111 and speak to a member of our Engagement Team.

John Has Found His Self-Esteem Through Better Off Finance

Health conditions can affect a person at the best of times, but a chronic condition can take a toll on the confidence and security felt day to day. Health conditions can be correlated with mental health conditions, as a lack of physical ability to do everyday tasks can run the risk of adding stress when resulting from your time away from work. John felt he was struggling with his condition affecting his well-being, not just financially but emotionally leading him to seek support. 

John signed up for the Better Off Finance programme, after fears that his confidence and self esteem would affect his employability chances. A physical disability that caused extreme pain to his joints, led to John struggling to leave his home for days at a time, often feeling isolated and anxious. Not afraid of hard work John is extremely intelligent and university educated, fortunately sought support in the next step to help manage his well-being alongside his finances.

He attended every session with enthusiasm and created a network by bonding and supporting the other group members. This gave John the confidence to apply as a volunteer for Citizens Advice and undertake their training programme, helping in the IT department and admin services. The Better Off Finance not only helped John understand how to budget effectively and prevent debt, but also start building his savings alongside. Talking about the programme John said:

“I definitely would encourage people to join the BOF, by explaining from a simple comparison people see where they can save money and understand how they can reduce their carbon footprint through a course which the team have access too.”

The course not only helped John create the confidence in himself to build a savings foundation, it also enabled him to pay for an online course in advanced graphic design that John is excelling. Its hard to imagine for John that dealing with a physical disability, impacting on his mental health, and the struggle scouting work, has managed to see his way through, and now creating new opportunities for himself confidently and successfully!

John went on to say “The friendly and dedicated team always went an extra mile to help out,” and even after he had been exited from the program,

“They still keep in touch, and let me know courses that may help further down the line."

Its great to know that the effects of learning to money manage has lead to the improvement not only of quality of life, but the confidence to create a new future ahead! Thank you, John, for sharing your story!

About us:

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.

Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:

    Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work

·         Access employability sessions within the programme
·         Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity
·         Progress into training and education opportunities
·         Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.

Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The Big Lottery Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative

Joanne Feels Like A New Person After Better Off Finance

Building your confidence up after a long term of being unemployed can sometimes seem impossible! Thousands of thoughts will be running through your mind, have you got the right skills for the role? have you been unemployed too long to work anymore? they are endless and can bring your self esteem to the ground! 

Like many people, We met Joanne who questioned whether she'd ever have the confidence to climb back on the employment ladder...

Struggling with Depression and Anxiety, Joanne came to visit us after several years of unemployment feeling like she had no confidence in her abilities financially and no prospects of going back to work. Really wanting to take that step back into employability, she couldn’t find what direction to go in which only furthered her anxieties and fed her depression.

After several group sessions, Joanne now feels like a new person! She has become a financial capability volunteer at Citizens Advice and is actively looking for work. She believes that her confidence has increased so much that she is ‘forging a way forward’.

Better Off Finance can offer support with a range of different financial topics, such as looking for better supermarket deals to switching energy suppliers and insurance which Joanne has found extremely useful to use in her day to day life. Living on a tight budget with a young daughter, one useful skill she has found is to search online for better weekly shop deals by using My Supermarket, a shopping comparison website.

“I can now save on my outgoings, and I can start saving some money for a ‘rainy day’ fund”

People who participant in our Better Off Finance programme often leave the programme with the motivation to start improving their quality of life, like Joanne who is starting a computer course with Age UK and has enrolled to start another course to better her chances of employment, whilst alongside completing her level 2 in Health and Safety at working training course!

From having no confidence and fears of getting back into employment, we can now see her volunteering at Citizens Advice Wirral, where she offers support to people attending the BOF programme “I absolutely love it, I’m hooked!”

Joanne has now been able to make herself financially stable and is building her skills and CV for any potential job opportunities in the future.

“I would highly recommend the course, the level of support I received was amazing, please meet the team and see for yourself”

What a great experience, Thanks for sharing your story Joanne! and Good Luck in your future.

About us: 

Better Off Finance is offering residents of the Liverpool City Region who are currently unemployed (although don't have to be claiming benefits), a bespoke programme of support. This support will be provided at a local community venue or at home if a participant prefers.

Each participant will be linked up with their own key worker who will support them to:

• Improve their financial capability through 1-2-1 support and group work
• Access employability sessions within the programme
• Access a Level 2 Accredited ‘Money Mentor’ opportunity
• Progress into training and education opportunities
• Prepare and progress into sustainable employment.

Please contact us via our Facebook or Twitter pages to make a referral or for further information.
 

Better Off Finance is a program jointly funded by The Big Lottery Fund and European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities Initiative