FAQ's about money, debts, or benefits.

Helping-hand

​I am having difficulty with my outstanding debts. Can you help?

Being unable to meet your financial commitments can be very worrying and can often mount up very quickly. The most important first step is to not avoid or ignore this situation. Support is available to help in any situation and there are a number of organisations that can offer free advice and support.

Please contact us to discuss your situation further and don’t worry if you are not up to date with your post, we can help with this

I’m having difficulties paying my bills/budgeting my money. What can I do?

We can support you to understand how to budget your money and discuss options to reduce your outgoings. Please get all information together and chat to us.

How do I claim housing benefit/council tax support?

Housing benefit and council tax support can be applied for online on the Barking and Dagenham website. You will need to register for MyAccount or log in if you already registered. Please click the following links and if you need further information or support please contact us.

How to claim housing benefit

How to claim council tax support

I’m not sure if I am receiving the correct amount of benefit, can you help me check?

We can complete full income maximisation checks to ensure you are receiving your correct entitlement. Please have all your income and savings details ready and contact us to discuss this further.

I've received a decision on a benefit I disagree with, what can I do?

You should seek specific advice on this. However for most benefits you will need to request a mandatory reconsideration. This is where the decision is looked at again. You can use this as an opportunity to send in additional information if you have any. If the decision remains the same you can then choose to lodge an appeal for your case to go in front of an independent tribunal, where you can present any information and they will make a decision. There are strict time limits which will be detailed on your decision letter. Please chat with us for more information on this if required.

I'm concerned about financial scams, how can i avoid them?

There are a number of different ways that people are affected by financial scams each year. If you are unsure, do not give out personal information. Please contact us if you would like to discuss any situation further.

However here are five rules to follow to help avoid scams (as published by The Money Advice Service):

  1. Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full password – it’s never right to reveal these details
  2. Don’t assume an email request or caller is genuine – people aren’t always who they say they are
  3. Don’t be rushed – a bank or genuine organisation won’t mind waiting to give you time to stop and think
  4. Listen to your instincts – if something feels wrong then it is usually right to pause and question it
  5. Stay in control – have the confidence to refuse unusual requests for information