Debt, benefits and money advice

Contents

1. Welfare Support Service
2. Problems paying your rent
3. Online tools to help improve your finances
4. Help to Save scheme
5. Other advice agencies
6. More information

Welfare Support Service

The Welfare Support Service is the first point of contact for money advice in South Tyneside.

To contact the Welfare Support Service, call 0191 424 6040 or visit South Tyneside Council: Welfare Support Service.

Problems paying your rent

If you get behind with paying your rent and are having difficulty catching up, we can work with you and agree an affordable repayment plan to get you back on track and secure your home.

If you are having ongoing difficulties, we can help you by giving you confidential advice and discussing a referral to our Welfare Support Service, who will help you.

For more information and to discuss your rent account, please contact the Income Team on 0300 123 6633.

Online tools to help improve your finances 

The Money Advice Service has free online tools to help improve your finances: 

• Universal Credit Money Manager
  If you're getting Universal Credit, make the most of your payments with the Money Advice Service's free Money Manager tool. 
• Budget Planner
  If you want to keep track of your spending and find ways to save The Budget Planner puts you in control of your household spending and analyses your results to help you take control of your money. It's already helped hundreds of thousands of people. Try the Money Advice Service's free Budget Planner.
• Money Health Check
  If you don't know where you stand with your money The Money Health Check gives you a personal action plan to help you improve your finances with simple tasks and tips that you can start using today. To get a clearer picture of your finances, try a free Money Health Check.

Help to Save scheme

Help to Save is a Government saving scheme to support working people on tax credits and Universal Credit build their savings. 

You can save between £1 and £50 each calendar month.

You do not have to pay money in every month.

Find out more at South Tyneside Council: Help to Save Scheme.

Other advice agencies

• Citizen's Advice Bureau (South Shields and Jarrow)
• Step Change (debt charity)
• Age Concern Tyneside South
• National Debt Line

More information

See our Counter Fraud and Corruption Strategy.

For more help and information see South Tyneside Council: Benefits and money.