Credit crunch support for residents
Advice and support for local residents during the economic
downturn
South Staffordshire Council recognises that times are tough for
many of our local residents as a result of the credit crunch.
We are introducing a series of measures to help our residents
through the economic downturn.
Have a look at some of the offers and help that we
provide...
Council launches
'credit crunch' beating 0% loan scheme
Households hit hard by
the credit crunch are being given a helping hand to get back on
their feet thanks to a new loan scheme being launched by the
Council.
Residents who have lost their jobs or had
their working hours cut because of the credit crunch can now apply
for a 0% interest-free loan of up to £5,000 to
help pay their housing costs and stay in their homes thanks to the
government-backed scheme which has been launched by South
Staffordshire Council.
Council bosses are hoping that the new scheme
will ensure that those hit hardest by the recession will get the
support they need to stay in their homes.
Find out
more...
Brand NEW Support
Surgeries...
Residents in South Staffordshire who are worried about their
finances during the credit crunch can now get cash and housing
advice as part of a new drop-in surgery being held at Wombourne Leisure Centre on Thursdays from
10am - 12 noon.
Officers from the Council’s housing and
benefits teams will be on-hand to speak to residents and offer
advice to those who are struggling during the economic
downturn.
The best thing is, no appointments for the
drop-in sessions are needed - just pop in and speak in
confidence with one of our trained advisors.
Find out more....
Housing Support
The Council is here to support local people and ensure that
those families most in need can stay in their homes or have access
to decent, affordable housing.
Find out more about how our Housing Operations team could help
you:
Links
Housing Operations
Rent Deposit Scheme
Advice for first time buyers
Leisure and Tourism
Support
Keeping fit and healthy can become more difficult when there's
less money around. Day trips and holidays can also suffer when
times are tough but staying fit and keeping healthy on a budget
needn't cost the Earth.
Leisure
South Staffordshire Council offers top quality leisure
facilities at affordable prices.
Find out more about what's on offer at your local Leisure
Centre:
Codsall Leisure Centre
Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre
Penkridge Leisure Centre
Wombourne Leisure Centre
Did You Know?
From April 1st 2009, if you are over 60 or
under the age of 16 you can swim at our Leisure Centres for
FREE!
If you are in receipt of any of the following you could be
entitled to up to 50% off leisure activities with the Council's
'Leisure Linx' Discount Card:
- Working Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Registered Job seeker or in receipt of Job
Seekers Allowance (JSA)
Find out more about FREE swimming and the
Leisure Linx Card by contacting your local Leisure Centre.
Tourism - More of Staffordshire, For Less!
Days out in Staffordshire needn't cost the earth. Staffordshire
has a large range
of things to do and places to see for all the family. This now
became
even cheaper thanks to the FREE Enjoy
Staffordshire discount card.
As a card holder you'll be entitled to amazing benefits
throughout the year at Museums, Theme Parks, Pubs and Restaurants,
Stately Homes, Accommodation and so much more across
Staffordshire.
Find out more about the FREE Enjoy Staffordshire Card...
Revenues and Benefits
Support
From 2nd November the law on some benefits
will be changing. If you've got children or you're a pensioner find
out more...
You could be missing out on money that you're entitled to,
which could help make a real difference to your weekly
budget.
Families, single parents, single people, the elderly and the
disabled are just some of the groups who may not be claiming their
proper benefits.
Now, more than ever, is the time to make sure you're getting the
money you need.
Find out more about how to see if you're entitled to benefit
support by visiting the Council's Benefit support site.
Energy Efficiency
The average UK household wastes around
£300 a year through being energy inefficient.
By following our simple tips, many of
which don’t cost a penny we can reduce our impact on the
environment...and save on those fuel bills!
- Did you know that if you're over 70 you're entitled to
FREE cavity wall and loft insulation? Find out
more...
- If you're elderly or registered disabled you could also be
entitled to a Warm Front grant of up to
£6,000.
Find out more about saving energy
and saving cash...
Other Useful
Information
Here are just a few more documents and contacts that might be of
use and interest.
- Get handy tips on how to maximise your
income and save cash on your heating bills:
PDF Document:
Cracking
the Credit Crunch (973 KB)
- View the Council's 21-point Action Plan
designed to help tackle the credit crunch and provide more support
for our residents and our local business community:
PDF Document:
South Staffordshire Council's Plan-21 (66KB)
Other Useful
Contacts
South Staffordshire Citizens
Advice Bureau
Specialist debt
advice
Council Tax
Payment difficulty and advice
South Staffordshire Council
Telephone: (01902) 696664
Email: taxation@sstaffs.gov.uk
Housing and Council Tax
Benefits
South Staffordshire Council
Telephone: (01902) 696668
Email: benefits@sstaffs.gov.uk
Jobs and benefit
advice
External Link:
www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
National Debt
Line
Telephone: 0808 808 4000
External Link:
www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
Dept Advice
Foundation
Telephone: 0800 043 40 50
External Link:
http://www.debtadvicefoundation.org/
Community Legal
Advice
Telephone: 0845 345 4345
External Link:
www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk
Age Concern
Telephone: (01785) 788488
External Link: www.ageconcern.org.uk
Dept Support Trust
Telephone: (0800) 085 0226
External Link: http://www.debtsupporttrust.org.uk/
Is the credit crunch
dragging you down?
The NHS Stressline can help.
Job insecurity, redundancy, debt and money problems can all
cause feelings of distress. When times are tough, it’s quite
natural to feel worried or down. It’s when these feelings go on for
weeks that they can start to affect your health and wellbeing.
Are your worries about the credit crunch interfering with your
life?
Get some help.
Simply dial the NHS Credit Crunch Stressline on 0300 123
2000 and speak to someone who cares 8am to 10pm, 7 days a
week. All NHS health advisers are trained to help.
Online Advice
This site contains
links to external websites. South Staffordshire
Council accepts no responsibility for the content of these
sites.
External Links:
Find a large selection of quotes on
insurance from some of the following:
MoneySupermarket - www.moneysupermarket.com
Compare the Market -
www.comparethemarket.com
Go Compare - www.gocompare.com
Tesco Compare - www.tescocompare.com