Money talk: a guide to finding help and advice on all things
money
If you need some help or advice with budgeting, claiming benefits or perhaps how to get the
best deal from your energy supplier, there are lots of places in Newcastle you can go.
This handbook has been created to give you a complete guide to who can help, what they do
and how to contact them.
Advice on benefits
The Newcastle Welfare Rights Service provides welfare rights advice and assistance to
residents living in Newcastle. This could be support to get the social security benefits that
you are entitled to, as well as advice if you are in financial crisis. There are two ways to
access the service.
1. A professional can make a referral to the service for you. This could be someone
working in children’s social care, adult social care or health; a worker from the
Housing Advice Centre; or a Councillor.
2. You can contact the service yourself on 0191 277 2627 or 278 8477 if you:
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are aged 65 and over
have a severe and ongoing mental health problem
have a learning disability
have a social care package
are a child with disabilities
are a care leaver
are a carer (providing unpaid care and support to a family member, friend,
partner or neighbour who has a disability, has an illness, is frail, has mental
health difficulties or has alcohol or drug-related problems)
have a critical illness
have a registered sensory impairment
have been offered a job and require a ‘better off calculation’
are in financial crisis
are a Newcastle City Council employee at risk of redundancyThere is a wide
range of welfare rights information available on the Newcastle City Council
website at: www.newcastle.gov.uk/benefits-and-council-tax/welfare-rights-andmoney-advice
The website includes useful factsheets giving information about benefits and tax credits
for people in certain circumstances as well as a section on you and benefits which covers
a variety of specific life events
Age UK Newcastle
Age UK Newcastle provides free, confidential and independent advice and support on
welfare benefits to people aged over 50 years, their carers and their families. They also
provide advice on money, housing options, health and social care.
Contact details:
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm – drop in, telephone and email advice.
There are also drop-in advice sessions at other venues in the city.
Age UK Newcastle
Hadrian House
Higham Place
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8AF
Phone: 0191 232 6488
Fax: 0191 235 9933
Email: enquiries@ageuknewcastle.org.uk
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk/newcastle
Caring Hands Charity
Caring Hands provides free, confidential and independent advice and support on welfare
benefits to people aged over 50 years who live in the Ouseburn ward of Newcastle.
Contact details:
Appointments are available on Tuesdays and must be booked in advance
Caring Hands Charity
34 Wretham Place
Shieldfield
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE2 1XU
Phone: 0191 261 5234
Fax: 0191 261 5251
Email: caringhands.charity@btinternet.com
Website: www.caringhandscharity.org.uk
Disability North
Disability North provides information and advice on all aspects of disability for disabled
people, their families and carers. This covers welfare benefits advice, including
representation and advocacy.
Contact details:
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm – appointments are available and must be booked in
advance
The Dene Centre
Castle Farm Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE3 1PH
Phone: 0191 284 0480
Fax: 0191 213 0910
Text: 018 001 0191 284 0480
Email: reception@disabilitynorth.org.uk
Website: www.disabilitynorth.org.uk
Newcastle Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
Newcastle Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) provides advice on a full range of subjects
including benefits, tax credits, money management and debt. Specialist advice is also
available including tribunal assistance and debt advice.
Contact details:
CAB hold drop-in sessions at their city centre office (St Cuthberts Chambers) on:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 1pm
Thursday 4pm to 6pm
Saturday 10am and 12pm
They provide telephone advice on:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 12pm
Thursday 4pm to 6pm
Newcastle CAB
St. Cuthberts Chambers
35 Nelson Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 5AN
Phone: 0844 499 4717
Fax: 0191 232 0461
Email: citycab@newcastlecab.org.uk
Website: www.newcastlecab.org.uk
Newcastle Law Centre
Newcastle Law Centre provides free specialist legal advice and representation. They help
people on low incomes in relation to welfare benefits, employment, immigration and
asylum. They can also help if you are about to be evicted or are due in court for rent
arrears.
Contact details:
Newcastle Law Centre
1st Floor
1 Charlotte Square
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 4XF
Phone: 0191 230 4777
Fax: 0191 233 0295
Email: info@newcastlelawcentre.co.uk
Newcastle Warm Zone
Warm Zone works with Newcastle City Council to reduce fuel poverty and improve energy
efficiency. They provide benefits advice as well as energy efficiency advice and help with
free or heavily discounted cavity wall and loft insulation.
Contact details:
Newcastle Warm Zone
First Floor
Allendale Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE6 2SZ
Phone: 0191 277 7373
Fax: 0191 277 7370
Email: warm.zone@newcastle.gov.uk
Search Project
The Search Project provides advice and information on all benefits and allowances to
pensioners and their carers living in the inner west of Newcastle. This includes providing
help with claims and completing forms. Advice is also available on housing, consumer and
health problems.
Contact details:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10am to 1pm – drop-in advice sessions.
Appointments are also available and must be booked in advance
Search Project
74 Adelaide Terrace
Benwell
Newcastle
NE4 9JN
Phone: 0191 273 7443
Fax: 0191 272 5135
E-mail: searchprojectuk@yahoo.co.uk
Shelter North East
Shelter North East provides independent and confidential advice, information, casework
and representation on welfare benefits, as well as on debt, housing issues and mortgage
problems.
Contact details:
Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm – drop in, telephone and email advice.
There are also drop-in advice sessions at other venues in the city and throughout
the North East.
Shelter North East
1-2 Blackfriars Court
Dispensary Lane
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 4XB
Phone: 0344 515 1601
Fax: 0344 515 2914
E-mail: shelternortheast@shelter.org.uk
Website: www.shelter.org.uk
Your Homes Newcastle (YHN)
Your Homes Newcastle offers a face to face service dealing with vulnerable tenants (YHN
and private) who have debt and budgeting issues. Your Homes Newcastle also aim to
contact all new tenants by telephone to complete a financial health check, which includes
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Maximising Income – looking at benefits that could be claimed
Ensuring HB / CTB is applied for
Utilities – switching, saving etc.
Minor charity applications
Referring into credit unions
Raising awareness regarding illegal money lending
Their Advice and Support team offers a wide range of help to current and potential
customers including:
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Setting up your tenancy
Managing your tenancy successfully
Moving from supported accommodation to independent living (such as asylum
accommodation, hospital, drug and alcohol rehab or a mental health hospital)
An Advice and Support Worker is based in every Community Housing Office across the
city.
Contact details:
Online referral which can be found at
www.yhn.org.uk/tenancy_services/advice_and_support_team
By visiting any local Housing Office Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm Wednesday
8.30am to 3pm
By calling YHN’s main office on 0191 277 1144 Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
Wednesday 8.30am to 3pm
The YHN website also has a dedicated section for benefit changes information. You can
find details of the changes as well as links to other useful sites. Go to:
http://www.yhn.org.uk/governments_benefit_changes.aspx
Debt help and advice
Newcastle CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau)
Newcastle CAB provides the full range of debt advice services, from basic information and
money guidance through to bankruptcy. There is a specialist team of debt advisors, who
work with clients who have debt problems.
There is also a Money Advisor, who provides money guidance both at the Bureau and at
various venues across the city. They provide free advice and assistance with Council
Revenues and Benefits queries, immigration and employment issues.
Contact details:
Tel: Tyne Advice line on 0844 245 1288 or 0191 261 1113
E-mail contact: citycab@newcastlecab.org.uk
CCCS: Consumer Credit Counselling Service
Offer advice and support to anyone who needs it, regardless of the number or type of debts
or whether the client qualifies for legal help.
Their free helpline advisor will carry out an immediate assessment of the caller’s situation, to
identify if there is any crisis situation needing immediate and emergency help. If the client is
immediately presenting as having no income, we will transfer them straight to our team
welfare benefits advisors.
All our debt counsellors can advise on the full range of debt solutions and all clients will
receive practical money management advice to help with living within a budget along with
advice on income maximisation and how to make their money go that bit further.
Welfare Benefits Service: Carries out a full assessment of a client’s entitlement to means
and non means-tested benefits. They can also provide assistance with completing benefit
applications.
Debt Advocacy: A telephone based service which provides extra support to vulnerable
clients. This includes help to clients with additional needs due to mental health problems,
learning difficulties and physical disability.
Contact details:
Helpline : Freephone 0800 138 1111 (8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday and from 9am
until 3pm on Saturdays)
Website: www.cccs.co.uk
DAWN
Provides debt advice and casework by telephone for all Newcastle residents regardless of
means assessments. The service includes advice on priority debts, bankruptcy and debt
relief orders.
Contact details:
Telephone: 0300 33 33 445 (9am to 5pm Monday – Thursday, 9am to 4.30pm Friday)
Newcastle Debt Advice Compact
If you are struggling with debt, The Newcastle Debt Advice Compact could help.
Contact details:
Debt Advice Line: 0191 278 2774 (open from 9.30am to 12.30pm and again from
2pm to 4pm Monday to Friday)
Email: debtadvice@newcastle.gov.uk
Newcastle Welfare Rights Service: Money Matters
Money Matters offers a face to face service dealing with vulnerable clients with complex
needs, to whom telephone and web based support would not be applicable. The following
services are offered:
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Debt Relief Orders
Bankruptcy
IVA
Affordable repayment schedule
Contact details:
Debt Advice Line: 0191 278 2774 (9:30am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 4.30pm, MondayFriday. Runs in partnership with Money Matters, Newcastle Citizens Advice Bureau
and Shelter)
Complete and e-mail Money Matters referral form to:
moneymatters@newcastle.gov.uk
Post referral form to: Money Matters, Callerton House, 4 Callerton Place, Fenham,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5NQ
Fax referral form to 0191 277 1065
Payplan
Comprehensive advice, guidance and support for anyone struggling with debt. They can give
clients a financial makeover for anyone wishing to review their day to day expenditure on
products such as home and car insurance and utility switching so we can help increase their
income to pay towards their debt.
We offer all clients access to our special advice team giving that extra helping hand to
resolve more complicated or sensitive cases.
Payplan plus is an online tool allowing secure and private online account management. It is
a unique web-based community that is available for our clients, and is a major part of
Payplan's service to help clients achieve their goal of becoming debt-free.
Contact details:
Freephone number: 0800 716 239
Website: www.payplan.com
Money Advisor website: www.your.payplan.com
Email: Case@payplan.com
Affordable credit and /or opportunities to save
Affordable credit offer affordable interest rates as well as debt and budgeting advice.
Five Lamps is a charity that may be able offer affordable personal loans with repayments
that suit people’s individual finances. They can also help clients with first stage debt advice.
Five Lamps may also be able to help people having trouble opening a bank account.
Contact details:
John Hird, Senior Loan Officer
Telephone: 0191 275 5045
E-mail: johnhird@fivelamps.org.uk
Website: www.fivelamps.org.uk
Northern Money can help people find details of local credit unions and low cost credit
providers.
Contact details:
Telephone: 0191 279 4881 (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm)
Website: http://www.moneywise.org.uk/In-the-Community
Moneywise Credit Union offers a range of loan options depending on how long customers
have been saving. Credit unions such as Moneywise rely on members’ deposits to provide
loans so part of the commitment when joining a credit union will be to save regularly. This
not only helps other members but also starts a regular saving habit.
Contact details:
Telephone: 0191 276 7963
E-mail: admin@moneywise.org.uk
Website: http://www.moneywise.org.uk/Home
Address: 187 – 189 Shields Road, Byker, NE6 1DP (Monday to Friday 10am to
4.30pm for face to face advice. They also have a number of local office points across
the city. For more information on the location and opening hours of their local office
points, please get in touch using the contact details above or visit:
http://www.moneywise.org.uk/In-the-Community)
Illegal money lending
Illegal money lenders, or loan sharks, are unlicensed traders who operate outside of the law.
They often target vulnerable people charging very high rates of interest. Borrowers will not
be protected by any form of contract, terms or conditions and non- payment could lead to
threats, violence or the taking of valuable items such as passports or cash cards for security.
Loan Sharks can sometimes frighten people by saying they will be prosecuted or even sent
to prison of they don’t repay their loans. This cannot happen; an unlicensed lender has no
legal right to recover the debt.
The National Illegal Money Lending Team has an officer who works in the area and can
offer a range of support, such as referrals to agencies including credit unions or independent
free debt advice services, emotional support in court and importantly, the power to
prosecute.
Contact details:
To report a Loan Shark call the 24 hour confidential hotline: 0300 555 2222
Text loan shark and your message to: 60003
E-mail: reportloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk
Website: www.direct.gov.uk/stoploansharks for more information
Call Natalie Barker on 07557 203149
Loan sharks can also be reported to the Council’s Trading Standards team who work
closely with the Illegal Money Lending Team to investigate all reports of illegal money
lending.
Contact details:
Telephone: 0191 211 6121
E-mail: tradingstandards@newcastle.gov.uk
Help to get online
In 2013 Universal Credit will replace many working age benefits, including jobseekers
allowance, working tax credit and child tax credit. Claimants will be expected to claim and
manage their benefit online, similar to online banking. We know that this will disadvantage
many people who either do not have access to a computer or who are not confident to go
online.
Newcastle Libraries provide a range of free training for all residents which includes:
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one-to-one internet taster sessions
classes in digital areas such as email, internet, digital cameras, Skype, online
shopping, eBay, Twitter and Facebook, online heritage and many more
outreach sessions within partner organisation venues
Contact details:
Telephone: City Library on 0191 2774100 (for more information, or to book onto a
session) Call in at your local library
Help with energy efficiency and energy bills
Help is available for customers who are struggling to pay fuel bills, would like more
information about how to make their property more energy efficient or would like information
about best energy deals.
Contact details:
Tom Jarman, Investment Delivery Manager, Your Homes Newcastle
Telephone: 0800 091 1255
E-mail: tom.jarman@yhn.org.uk
The British Gas Energy Trust Project supports North East residents struggling with utility
and other household debts. Their aim is to contribute to the fight against poverty across
Great Britain. Grants from the Trust are available to help individuals and families in need, to
meet arrears of energy charges and other household bills and costs.
Contact details:
The Fuel Debtline 0300 303 1931 (helps all clients of British Gas and other energy
companies)