Financial difficulties
Coronavirus: Customer Service Centres
The customer service centres in Burton and Uttoxeter are currently closed.
If you are homeless or at risk of being homeless please telephone 01283 508120 between 9am and 5pm. Outside office hours for emergencies only there is our out-of-hours line if you have nowhere to stay tonight. This number is listed on the page for the Council’s web page for the Housing Options Team – please read down the page.
Alternatively you can email the Council at housingoptions@eaststaffsbc.gov.uk and we will aim to respond the same working day.
If you are a Rough Sleeper please call 0800 130 3415. The YMCA’S dedicated Outreach team are available 24 hours a day, if for any reason there is no answer please leave a voicemail with your contact details.
Please see the sections below for information to help with financial difficulties:
Paying your rent or mortgage
You must pay your rent or mortgage to avoid losing your home. Start paying again if you have stopped. This is more important than paying towards unsecured loans, credit cards, hire purchase etc - those lenders cannot take your home away from you but your landlord or mortgage company can.
Can't afford your mortgage?
If you cannot afford the whole of your mortgage repayment talk to your lender about this. See mortgage arrears for advice.
Facing Eviction?
If you are already facing eviction because you are behind with your rent see the eviction page.
Need help to pay the rent?
If you need help to pay the rent, claim Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, even if you are in work:
If you receive Housing Benefit you need to spend the whole of each payment on your rent to avoid falling into arrears. This is because rent is normally due a month in advance and if you use your Housing Benefit for something else you will not be able to pay the rent when it is due. It is therefore best to pay your Housing Benefit towards your rent as soon as you receive it.
If your Housing Benefit does not cover the whole of your rent, you need to pay the difference to the landlord from your other income by the due date.
Help to sort out your finances
If you owe money to an illegal money lender (loan shark), especially if they are harassing you, please report them to the Government's Illegal Money Lending Team.
Email reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk, or call 0300 555 2222 (available 24 hours), or text LOAN SHARK and the lender’s details to 60003. You do not have to give your name. The service will support you and work with others to keep you safe.
The minimum wage
Make sure you are receiving the minimum wage for any work you do.
If your employer provides you with free accommodation then this is counted as being worth £34.37 per week. If you pay your employer for accommodation, any amount you pay more than £34.37 per week is not counted as wages for minimum wage purposes.
Urgent needs
Door step lenders and pay day loans charge massive interest rates and there are alternatives:
Plan ahead - Credit Unions
Joining a Credit Union is one way to plan ahead for emergencies and expensive times of year. Credit Unions are not-for-profit organisations run by members for members. According to money saving expert Martin Lewis almost a million people in the UK already belong to a Credit Union.
With a Credit Union you can save as little as you can afford, and after saving for a few months you can apply for a loan which is much cheaper than pay-day loans or doorstep lenders, even for just a small amount.
Credit Unions are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and your money is as safe as in normal savings accounts because it is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
Residents of East Staffordshire can join the following Credit Unions. If you work you may also be able to join a Credit Union through your employer.