Your Money team

How can the Your Money team help me?

The Your Money team is available to help any resident in the East Riding who is struggling with rent and/or Council Tax payments or repaying overpaid housing benefit.

We can negotiate affordable repayment rates and offer debt and budgeting advice. The team also carries out benefit checks to maximise your income, assist in claiming housing benefit and/or Council Tax support and also ensure you are receiving all the discounts you are entitled to on your Council Tax.

Usually we offer a home visiting service or we can arrange an appointment at your local customer service centre, however due to the current pandemic conditions our preferred method of contact is by telephone or e-mail.

How do I contact the Your Money team?

To contact the Your Money team please send an enquiry online:

Send an enquiry online to the Your Money team

What is the Your Money team customer charter?

Our customer charter tells you about: 

• how we can help you 
• the type of support we can give you and how we will support you 
• how you can access the team and when the service is available 
• what we can’t do 
• what you can do to help us support you 
• consent for us to contact other agencies to support you 
• confidentiality 
• safeguarding 
• discrimination
• how to complain about our team as well as giving feedback on our team and agencies we sign-post or refer you to.
  

Download the customer charter as a Word document via the link below:

Your Money Team Customer Charter (word 22kb)

Our Your Money team is proud to hold Advice Quality Standard accreditation (AQS). AQS is awarded to organisations that provide advice on welfare issues. Organisations that hold the standard have demonstrated that they are easily accessible, effectively managed and employ staff with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the needs of their clients.

To find out more about AQS visit their website:

Advice Quality Standard - About the AQS (external website)

How do I open a bank account?

Basic bank accounts are offered by all high street banks and everyone is entitled to one. However only Barclays and Co-operative offer specialist accounts if you are an undischarged bankrupt. Credit Unions also offer a banking service. 

Barclays basic current account (external website)

Credit Union (external website)

Virgin Money Essential Current Account (external website)

What are priority debts and what are non-priority debts?

Priority debts are your most important debts - ones which cover your essential costs of living. 

Such essential costs include:

• mortgage or rent
• secured loans
• Council Tax
• gas, water and electricity
• court fines
• child maintenance. 

Non-priority debts include items such as satellite television, mobile phones and store cards.

I cannot afford to pay my Council Tax/rent, what can I do?

You should contact the Your Money Team for confidential advice and continue to pay as much towards your Council Tax/rent as you can until a visit or appointment can be arranged.  

I don't feel that I am able to accept my housing benefit payments and would like them to go directly to my landlord?

You should contact the Your Money team who may be able to offer you help and support with accepting and managing your own payments or may be able to arrange for your payments to be sent directly to your landlord.

I have found myself in debt, what can I do?

If you are struggling to meet repayments on credit cards or loans, then this could have an adverse effect on your income and your ability to pay other debts, such as your rent or Council Tax.  

If this is the case and you are worried that you will not be able to pay these, please contact either the Welfare Visiting team, or Citizens Advice Bureau. 

If you want help with budgeting, use our free budgeting tool.

Budgeting tool (external website)

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) 

The service is always free, confidential and impartial, and no charges are made, unlike many debt management companies. The Citizens Advice Bureau have been providing advice since 1939 and is an integral and trusted part of the East Riding communities. 

A budgeting tool to help you with your finances is also available on the citizens' advice website:

Citizens Advice Budgeting tool (external website) 

You can contact the CAB network on 0800 1448848 or drop into one of their offices at:

Beverley 
100 Lairgate 
Beverley 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
HU17 0NP 

Advice sessions are available: 
Tuesday 10am - 4pm 
Friday 10am - 4pm 

Bridlington 
5a Prospect Arcade 
Bridlington 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
YO15 2AL 

Advice sessions are available:
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm

Goole 
80 Pasture Road 
Goole 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
DN14 6HE 

Advice sessions are available: 
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Telephone advice times 

Monday - Friday 9am - 4pm

Please visit the Citizens Access Bureau websitefor further at reach locations.

What other organisations can provide financial advice? 

There are a number of organisations who can provide free useful advice and information for people who are experiencing financial problems:

Stepchange

Stepchange is a charity that provides free, independent and realistic debt advice and support.

Stepchange (external website)  

MoneyHelper

MoneyHelper joins up money and pensions guidance to make it quicker and easier to find the right help, MoneyHelper brings together the support and services of 3 government-backed financial guidance providers: 

• the Money Advice Service
• the Pensions Advisory Service
• Pension Wise.

MoneyHelper (external website)

National Debtline

National Debtline is a debt charity run by the money advice trust. They offer free and confidential debt advice.

National Debtline (external website)

Council Tax and rent recovery

The recovery section collects Council Tax and council rent for East Riding of Yorkshire Council. You can contact them on (01482) 393939.

Credit Union

The Credit Union can help with basic bank accounts, give access to low-cost loans and offer easy ways to start saving. You can contact them by telephone (01482) 778753 or visit their website.

Credit Union - Loans (external website)

Directgov website

This government website offers detailed and wide-ranging information and advice on claiming benefits, job searching, further education, pensions and retirement planning, voting and much more.

Directgov - Money, tax and benefits (external website)

Financial services authority

The financial services authority is the regulator of financial services in the UK, they set the standards that firms must meet and take action against those that fail to meet the required standards.

The financial services authority (external website) 

Housing benefit and Council Tax support section

The housing benefit and Council Tax support section administer claims for both housing benefit and Council Tax support. 

They also process free school meal and clothing grant claim requests. For more information please visit the housing benefit web pages and choose the appropriate question. 

Other available benefits

Money advice service

The money advice service provides free, clear and unbiased advice to help you manage your money. 

Money advice service - your money (external website)

Tax credits

Universal Credit is replacing tax credits.

Visit GOV.UK to apply for Universal Credit (external website)

Can I request a hold on recovery action and additional fees?

Read about the new, statutory scheme called ‘Breathing Space’ which is designed to provide people with debt problems the right to legal protection from creditors for a limited period of time.

I need help with budgeting, can you help?

We understand that some customers may need help with their monthly/weekly budgeting.

Our budgeting tool will help you create your own personal budget plan to assist with taking control of your finances.

By using our budgeting tool you can get recommendations for:

• how you can reduce your expenses
• how you can maximise your income
• how to pay off your debts
• how to save for a rainy day.

Budgeting tool (external website)

Can I get help with my electricity bill?

The Warm Home Discount (WHD) is a government scheme that obligates the largest energy suppliers to credit a £140 discount onto the electricity bills of certain low income households.

You could get £140 off your electricity bill for winter 2022 to 2023 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

The money is not paid to you - it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between October and March.

You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity. Contact your supplier to find out.

The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment

Check your eligibility (External website)