Financial wellbeing for housing residents
- Help with budgeting and bills
- Debt advice
- Right to Buy and mortgage support
- Simple guides to credit
- Starting or enlarging a family
- Embed money guidance into your communications
Support residents as they budget for mortgages, rent and bills, adjust to Universal Credit, or move on to Right to Buy or Help to Buy schemes. Use these free resources for housing associations, councils, third-sector organisations, utilities firms and arm’s length management organisations.
Financial wellbeing is about feeling secure and in control. It’s knowing that you can pay the bills today, can deal with the unexpected, and are on track for a healthy financial future.
Money and Pensions Service
In short: confident and empowered.
Help with budgeting and bills
Creditor toolkit
A third of people seeking debt advice had Council Tax arrears, according to our 2018 research. Creditors from all sectors can benefit by collaborating with debt advice agencies. Download our good practice guide for practical case studies and seven ways creditors can collaborate with debt advisers to ensure that people who can repay their debts do so, and that creditors receive money owed.
Download guide: creditor toolkit
Council Tax
Our guidance for councils is designed to support fairer outcomes, improve resident engagement with councils and utilities providers, and sustainable arrears payments, through greater collaboration with debt advice agencies. The resource is modelled on best practice examples from councils and utilities providers in England and Wales.
Download guide for councils and utilities firms: Supportive Council Tax Recovery
Covid-19 money guidance
Our Money Navigator Tool can help you support residents who need money guidance but don’t know where to start. They can answer a few brief questions, and receive results tailored to their situation. Specialist support from partners such as Shelter, Business Debtline and Citizens Advice is available for more complex queries.
Universal Credit
Our online Universal Credit (UC) money manager tool supports residents on UC payments. Residents can use this accessible tool to help make budgeting decisions and plan ahead to keep up with rent.
Residents can use the tool to:
- get information and advice based on your personal circumstances
- work out the best ways to pay their rent
- find out which bank accounts are best for managing their payments
- get money saving tips for cutting the cost of household bills
- find out what to do and where to get help if they are struggling.
Choosing a bank account
Our guide to choosing the right bank account supports residents to choose an account that best fits their needs, and includes a video guide to opening a bank account. Learn more
Debt advice
For residents struggling to keep up with rent and bills, signpost to local debt advice support online, over the phone or face to face. Learn more
Our test helps residents determine their level of debt, how to work with creditors to get payments back on track, and access debt advice. Learn more
Money Advisory Network
The Money Advisory Network is a technology-focused trial to simplify how people access and experience the debt advice journey, while increasing efficiency to allow us to help more people in need to receive free debt advice.
Right to Buy and mortgage support
Getting on the property ladder is a big change in financial circumstances. Our mortgage and buying guides to support those making this change.
Right to Buy and Help to Buy
Support your eligible tenants: offer answers to frequently asked questions about the schemes:
Simple guides to credit
If residents need to borrow money and are thinking of getting a credit card or loan, our guides will help them to consider their options.
- How to improve your credit rating
- Guide to credit cards
- Store cards explained
- Interest rates explained
- Calculator: what credit costs and how long it will take to pay off
- Alternatives to payday loans
- How to spot loan sharks
Starting or enlarging a family
Only 41% of people seek money guidance during life events. Use these online tools to supply residents with guidance at the key moments, such as during maternity or paternity:
Embed money guidance into your communications
We offer a wide range of guidance and ways to share it with your customers.
Get free, tailored support to build financial wellbeing by contacting our regional partnerships team. They will help you find the guidance best suited to your residents and employees, and offer options on how to communicate it with them, such as events and website syndication.