Financial advice and support

Local advice and support 

All residents can visit Livv Housing Group (previously KHT) online Money advice hub to find local support including advice on employment, training, managing debt, health and wellbeing, furniture, getting online and claiming Universal Credit.
Many other organisations provide free and confidential advice to Knowsley residents. Some exceptions apply, so check the details below and if in doubt get in touch before you visit. This advice includes:

• Help with benefits (checking entitlement or making a claim)

• Help to sort out debts

• Financial Services (including low cost loans, savings and affordable white goods and electricals)

• Where to go in a crisis (including help with fuel costs and food)

National money advice and support

Online money advice is available through a number of national organisations. Again, the advice is confidential and free.

Turn2us – www.turn2us.org.uk
Information and advice on benefits, grants and managing your money, with an online benefits calculator to work out what you could claim. Visit their website or, if you don’t have access to the internet call 0808 802 2000.
 
Money Advice Service – www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Clear and unbiased advice to help you manage your money. Visit their website or call 0800 138 7777 to speak with a trained advisor.

Entitledto – www.entitledto.co.uk
Information and advice on benefits and grants including an online calculator to find benefits you may be entitled to.

National debt services 

Stepchange.org
Advice and support on managing debt including bankruptcy and Debt Relief Orders. Has an online benefits calculator. Go online or call 0800 138 1111.
 
National Debtline – www.nationaldebtline.co.uk
 
Advice on dealing with debt problems. Visit their website or call 0808 808 4000 for more information.
Debt Support Trust – www.debtsupporttrust.org.uk
 
Online and telephone debt advice. Use their ‘debt analyser’ tool to work out where your money goes and which solution might be best.

Trust Funds and passported benefits 

Receipt of certain benefits can give entitlement to further benefits or services, for example eye tests, NHS Prescription costs and Healthy Start vouchers. Check the Entitledto website for further details.

Examples include Healthy Start vouchers, Warm Home Discount Scheme, and Free School Meals.

British Gas Energy Trust 
Help for those struggling to pay energy bills. Support includes:

• Clearing gas or electricity debts (for British Gas and customers of other utility companies) 

• Boiler replacement

• The purchase of energy efficient white goods or cookers. 

Visit their website or call 01733 421060.

United Utilities Trust Fund 

Available to United Utilities customers. Support is paid as a one-off grant to priority creditors, mostly to help clear water debt or to help with water charges. Visit their website or call 0300 790 6172.

NHS Healthy Start   
Provide free weekly vouchers to spend on milk, plain fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, and infant formula milk. The scheme also provides free vitamins. Visit their website or call 0345 607 6823.

Legal and consumer support services 

Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline – 03454 040506

(Previously known as Consumer Direct) Practical advice on all kinds of consumer problems from credit issues to energy and faulty household appliances.  

Help with benefits (checking entitlement or making a claim)

 

Citizens Advice Knowsley	27 Cavendish Walk, Huyton, L36 9YG   Welfare Benefits and General Advice: Monday 9:30am-3:00pm   Money and Debt Advice: Thursday 9:30am-3:00pm   142 Cherryfield Drive, Kirkby, L32 8RX Money and Debt Advice: Tuesday 9:30am-3:00pm   Welfare Benefits and General Advice: Friday 9:30am-3:00pm Email: [email protected]   For telephone advice call: Adviceline (Free) on 0808 278 7839 Monday – Friday 10:00am – 4:00pm Or visit their website
Prescot and Whiston Community Advice Centre	General Welfare Benefit Advice Help and guidance up to and including tribunal representation Telephone advice is available on 0151 443 4639 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - 9am - 5pm Wednesday - Closed
Centre 63	Old Hall Lane, Kirkby, L32 5TH Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5pm Telephone advice and guidance is available for 18–30-year-olds: Benefits including Universal Credit claims Housing and homelessness Money and debt A listening ear ​Call 0151 549 1494 Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5pm or visit their website.
Livv Housing Trust (formerly KHT)	Telephone advice and support for their tenants only Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm Sat - 9.30am - 1pm Call 0151 290 7000 or email [email protected]

Help to manage your money

 

TESS – anyone in rented accommodation

Based in ForHousing but open to all. TESS offers housing related support, including benefit checks and claims, budgeting and debt advice. Call 0151 949 5050 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm

Financial Services (including low cost loans, savings and affordable white goods and electricals)

Enterprise Credit Union	Hall Lane, Huyton, L36 6AX   Monday - Friday 9am - 12.30pm   5-7 Page Moss Lane, L14 0JJ   Monday - Friday 12.30pm - 3pm   Credit unions offer low cost loans and a savings facility to their members.   Direct message through the members online area of their website www.enterprisecreditunion.org Telephone 0151 482 0177 Email [email protected]   Visit their website.
Knowsley Mutual Credit Union	Kirkby Campus, Cherryfield Drive, Kirkby, L32 8SF   Monday - Friday 9.30am - 11.30am and 2pm - 4pm   Credit unions offer low-cost loans to their members.     Visit the Knowsley Mutual Credit Union website.  Email [email protected]. Call 0151 545 3380.

 

Where to go in a crisis

Knowsley Foodbank	Three days emergency food – a voucher is required from a partner agency.    Vouchers are held by a range of services including Citizens Advice, Children’s Centres, schools and health visitors.   10 distribution centres open Monday – Saturday. Call 07988617016 0151 673 1250 Freephone 0808 275 9930.   Email [email protected] or [email protected]   Head office - Link Rd Depot, Link Road, Huyton L36 6AP.
Stop Loan Sharks	Support for victims and witnesses of illegal lending. Will prosecute loan sharks. Call the confidential hotline on 0300 555 2222 (open 24/7) or email r[email protected]
Emergency Support Scheme (Knowsley Council)   Fuel		Support with fuel to residents who meet the council’s criteria. Expectation that help with be sought to resolve the issue.   Further details here.	Residents should apply online either through the council’s customer portal (register for online services or log in to your online account). You must have a Council Tax account number, or a Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction claim reference to register your application through the Customer Portal.   You can also apply through the council’s website – go to Online Services and ‘Apply for it’.   Residents without access to a computer or the internet at home can get online in various venues across Knowsley.    If you cannot apply online, you can ring the council on 0151 443 3200 where an advisor can take
Emergency Support Scheme (Knowsley Council)   Food		The council’s scheme can provide you with a voucher for Knowsley Food Support.   View further details.	If you have a support worker or are receiving support from a local support agency, speak to them in the first instance.  If you do not have a support worker or the local agency cannot help you, ring Knowsley Food Support direct on 0151 538 8243. The line is open Monday to Friday 10am to 4.30pm.

 

Claiming or plan to claim Universal Credit?

Anyone making a new claim for Universal Credit can get help through Citizens Advice Knowsley’s ‘Help to Claim’ service. 

Visit their website www.citizensadviceknowsley.org.uk or call their team on 0800 144 8444.

For further information on Universal Credit including eligibility and help to prepare, visit the Governments Universal Credit website or Knowsley Council’s Universal Credit pages. 

Universal Credit does not include help towards Council Tax; this must be claimed this separately from Knowsley Council’s Council Tax Reduction page.

Support is available to residents who claim or want to claim Universal Credit. This covers:

• Support from the Department for Work and Pensions

• Where can residents go for digital support?

• In-depth assistance

• Basic assistance

• Access to computers and Wi-Fi  

 Support from the Department for Work and Pensions

 

Type of Support	Detail	How to apply
Advance Payment	Up to 100% of the first UC payment can be received early. Repaid over (up to) 12 months.	Ask your DWP Workcoach or call the UC helpline on 0800 328 5644.   Can be requested at any time.
Alternative Payment Arrangements	In some circumstances, the monthly payments can be made direct to the landlord, split between partners or received more often than monthly.
Hardship Payment	Can be requested if a sanction has been applied.

Where can residents go for digital support?

Support to complete the online claim and develop digital skills
Support to get online, set up an email address, upload documents, make a claim for Universal Credit and verify identity can be done through the Citizens Advice ‘Help to Claim’ service. Call the Freephone number 0800 144 8444. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.  

Knowsley FACE, the Council’s adult education team are working to support residents develop or improve their digital skills.

For further information or to book an appointment, please contact the FACE team, email: [email protected] or telephone Michelle Daly, Curriculum Lead Officer, on 07810 053 971
 
Other sources of money advice 
 
Many Registered Social Landlords, including Livv Housing and ForHousing, offer money advice to their tenants. Social tenants claiming Universal Credit should contact their Landlord to see what other support and advice they can provide.
 
Money advice is also available online through the Money Advice Service. Visit Money Manager for Universal Credit Claimants for support tailored to your needs.