Are you in struggling with money?

There is help out there if you are struggling to make ends meet. There are organisations which can offer free and impartial advice to help you sort out your cash worries.

How Flourish Homes can help

We have a Debt, Benefits and Welfare Advisor who offers free and confidential advice. She will help you work out a payment plan to get things sorted and could help you find new income by making sure you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to. She can visit you at home

Contact Jo-Anne Bevan on: 01749 334402

We also have a Surgery Housing Services Officer Tash Davis who can be found at our estate surgeries. She’s available to help if you’re struggling to pay your rent, housing benefit applications or advice on how to budget. Drop in to see her at our estate surgeries in Frome, Shepton Mallet, Glastonbury and Street. Find out more about our estate surgeries here.

We also have a useful Self Help Guide to Money Management which could help you sort out your debts and set out a weekly budget for your money.

How the CAB can help

The Citizens Advice Bureaualso gives free, independent and confidential advice on debt matters. They can help you work out repayments and negotiate with creditors.

There are CABs in Frome, Wells, Glastonbury and Street as well as a number of mobile services visiting some villages.

Local CABs can be found at:

5 King Street

Frome

BA11 1BH

Tel: 01373 465496

Opening times: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 3.30pm, Tuesday

11am to 7pm

The Amulet,

7, Market Place

Shepton Mallet

BA4 5AG

Tel: 01749 343010

Opening times: Wednesday 10am to 4pm

1 Orchard Court

Archers Way

Glastonbury

BA6 9JB

Tel: 01458 837444

Opening times: Monday and Thursday 10am to 4pm and Tuesday 10am to 1pm

The Crispin Community Centre

High Street

Street

BA16 0EZ

Tel: 01458 448275

Opening Times: Tuesday and Wednesday 10am to 4pm and Friday 10am to 1pm

The Town Hall

Wells

BA5 2RB

Tel: 01749 675677

Opening Times: Monday and Wednesday 10am to 4pm and Friday 10am to 1pm

How Mendip Community Credit Union can help

Doorstep loan companies offer sky-high interest rates which are likely to only get you more into debt. A loan from the Mendip Community Credit Union won’t break the bank and can be for very small amounts of cash.

Here’s an example of how it works:

A £100 loan from Provident Financial paid back over 56 weeks would be repaid at £3.13 a week, which means you pay £72.68 in interest(based in an APR of 183.2% which is what they can charge) on top of the £100 you borrowed.

A Credit Union loan of £100 paid back over 56 weeks would be repaid at £1.90 a week, which means you pay just £7.14 in interest (based on an APR 12.68% which is what we charge) on top of the £100 you borrowed, saving you £65.56.

Flourish Homes has a special arrangement with the local Credit Union to help our residents. They have helped tenants pay off council tax arrears and buy much needed furniture when they moved into their new home. Applications are usually agreed and paid within a week, they charge interest at 12.68 percent APR and will work out a payment plan to suit. Speak to your housing officer or find out more about how the Credit Union could help you.

You can also get in touch with the Credit Union yourself and start saving – which will help you get a loan in due course. Visit them at:

Saturday mornings 10am to 12noon

Wells Library

Glastonbury Library

Frome Library

Tuesday mornings 10:30am to 12noon

Community Flat

Hillmead

Shepton Mallet