Our Be Money Ready page is designed to provide you with helpful advice and practical tips on how to manage your finances in your day-to-day life.
From how to budget to top tips for saving energy, we have explored some useful resources which can help you Be Money Ready.
We offer impartial guidance on budgeting and money management, debt, rent matters and a whole host of issues arising from welfare reforms.
The page is split into five sections: benefits, budgeting, debt, kids and family and moving.
The benefits section will guide you through the Universal Credit process, with advice on the criteria for Universal Credit and how to apply for it.
We want to help you manage your finances during these difficult times and our budgeting section includes a series of blogs on things like saving money on your food shopping, cutting the cost of water, saving money on your broadband and some tips on how to keep on top of your rent.
The debt section will give guidance on what to do if you are behind on payments and advice on if you are considering taking out a loan. It includes links to Step Change – the UK’s leading charity on tackling your debts. – and Citizens Advice, which can help you manage your debts.
This section also includes some useful blogs on understanding and improving your credit rating, dealing with debts, how to budget and loan sharks, with a case study of how a resident dealt with debt.
The kids and family hub provides support on how to avoid the bedroom tax and some advice on potentially moving home if you are having another child. The section also has blogs on how to save on school shopping and enjoying family fun on a budget.
The moving hub is designed to deliver guidance on how to downsize without a deposit and how to buy your own home as well as including information on mutual exchange, shared ownership and homes to buy.
The page includes some answers to some frequently asked questions which we hope will address any queries you might have.
Our Tenancy Sustainment Manager, Gia Hancock, said: “The development of the Be Money Ready section on our website is a really positive step as it provides a quick and easy reference guide for our customers.
“It gives our customers answers to their questions and offers guidance and advice around how to deal with any difficulties they may be having in relation to their finances. There are also some great top tips on getting the best deals and saving money.
“If customers are still experiencing problems, we are really fortunate that LiveWest provides a specialist service that offers support and advice to any of our customers who may be encountering difficulties.
“The Tenancy Sustainment Team work closely with colleagues and external agencies to ensure the best possible outcomes for our residents.
“Assisting with finances can include budgeting advice, benefit claims, grant applications and signposting for specialist debt advice if appropriate. We offer support to customers with managing their homes and any wellbeing issues which are having an impact on themselves or their community.”
The Be Money Ready page is part of a series of improvements we have made since we launched our new website a year ago.
As part of our service offer, we have made it easy for our customers to self-solve an issue in their home thanks to a number of animated videos and step-by-step instructions.