Feeling the pinch? Steph can help...

The cost of living has increased significantly, seeing us pay more for food, energy, clothing, and fuel.

We know that the pandemic has already placed pressure on many of our households, whether from income changes or ill health, so here is some info from Stephanie from our financial inclusion team that could help ease the pressure.

Tenancy hardship fund
Up until recently, this grant was only available to private tenants, but now social housing tenants can benefit too.

If you built up eight weeks of rent arrears between 1st March 2020 and 31st December 2021 due to loss of income because of the pandemic, were not in receipt of housing benefit or universal credit during that time or haven’t already had a grant to help with the arrears from elsewhere, you can apply for help to pay the money you owe. Just get in touch with Neath Port Talbot Council and ask for a tenancy hardship grant application form by emailing thg@npt.gov.uk or phone 01639 686868

Help to pay rent because of sickness?
If you are off work because of sickness, expect to be off for more than six weeks and are claiming statutory sick pay (£95.85 per week) you could qualify for help to pay your rent from universal credit.

There are certain criteria to be met and eligibility depends on who else lives in your household.

If you would like advice on whether you could benefit, get in touch with our team on 01639 506623/financialinclusion@taitarian.co.uk.

Support for Welsh Water bills
If you’re a low-income household and in receipt of means-tested benefits, you may be eligible to receive support through Welsh Water’s HelpU tariff, reducing your future charge to £250 for the year.

To apply for HelpU, you just need to share a little information about your household, and the income and benefits you receive. In some cases you may be asked to provide proof of your income too.

If your application is successful, any reduction in charges will be applied from the date Welsh Water receive your application.

Welsh Water also have their own customer assistance fund for those who are in over £150 of debt with their water bills and have a poor credit score.

Information on both these schemes on the website:
www.dwrcymru.com/en/support-with-bills

Our financial inclusion team is here to support you with money worries, budgeting help and claiming benefits. If you are feeling the pinch, we are the team to help.

Giving us a call has made a huge difference for many, so please get in touch.

Call 01639 506623 or email: financialinclusion@taitarian.co.uk.