Stay out of debt with free advice from Hackney CAB

Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau can help you improve your money management. Photograph: Lemon Jenny

Thousands of residents will benefit from free debt advice as part of a scheme spearheaded by London Citizens Advice Bureau.

The target group for the project is social housing residents who are in and out of work. We estimate there are about 15,000 tenants in Hackney who fall in this category.

Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau has a new project which allows residents free debt advice.

Hackney Money Smart has a team of three full-time debt specialists who can provide holistic advice primarily on debt prevention. The advisers worked previously under the auspices of the Legal Services Commission (LSC), and have a wealth of experience in advising on debt.

You do, however, need to be a tenant of one of the following landlords: Hackney Homes, Newlon, Southern Housing, Circle 33, Genesis, L&Q, Islington and Shoreditch, Metropolitan, Sanctuary or Family Mosaic.

The process will be for the social housing providers to identify residents they think could benefit from the project, and then make a referral to the citizens advice bureau. The first stage for residents will be a ‘triage’ assessment where their needs are discussed, and options for support and advice sessions given. There will be a number of different group sessions:

Spend Smart – Who to pay first
Wallet Smart – How to manage your money for a month
Loan Smart – Credit options, cost of loans
Save Smart – Money saving ideas, credit unions
Scam Smart – Avoiding scams and fraud

There will also be one-to-one sessions on personal budgeting where appropriate, and signposting to other services, such as ESOL, numeracy/ literacy and debt advice.

Our partners plan to provide additional support for those residents who are looking for employment, and/or would like help getting online.

In order to arrange an appointment you can be referred directly by your landlord and then speak with the project administrator.

The introduction of universal credit, with monthly payments and reductions in benefits as part of welfare reforms, means residents will need to manage their finances more efficiently, making budgeting and access to bank accounts even more important.

The project aims to support 5,000 people (1,000 each year) for five years, from April.

Residents can also access this service by visiting Hackney Citizens Advice Bureau directly, by telephoning 0208 525 6350, or by using the advice line 0844 499 1195, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 – 3 pm.

Citizens Advice Bureau
300 Mare Street
Hackney
E8 1HE