Worried about money?

The national cost of living situation can cause stress for many of us. The struggle to heat your home, pay your bills and buy essentials may take a significant toll on your mental health when dealing with these issues.

It has never been more important to ensure decent and fair wages with the rising cost of living crisis. Every organisation which pays the real Living Wage reports they are more productive and are more able to keep staff because their employees feel valued.

They also find it easier to recruit staff as people want to work for an organisation which values them and customers value it too. The real Living Wage also puts money back into the economy and allows people to live in dignity without worrying about making ends meet.

The council’s Welfare Rights, Debt Advice and Fairer Charging Service is an independent specialist advice for any resident of Salford and council employees.

The Welfare Rights team offers a range of advice from identifying missing or incorrect benefits and tax credits, submitting claims, through to challenging decisions using a range of legal remedies. Debt advisers work with people who have complex debt issues, focussing on clients who struggle to access mainstream advice including rent and council tax arrears, fuel, court fines, as well as a range of other debts.

They can represent in court possession proceedings, advise on bankruptcy and can arrange Debt Relief Orders. The Fairer Charging Assessment team carries out financial  assessments for non-residential care and looks to find missing benefits. The team receives referrals in directly from the council’s Adult Social Care service following an assessment for a care package.

Salford Assist is a council scheme that can offer short term support to people who are in a crisis, emergency or major disaster situation.

These situations can mean that you are unable to meet the basic needs of yourself or your family. It doesn’t offer cash payments, but would consider your immediate needs and try to help with essential items.

Salford Housing Options Point (SHOP) is Salford's one-stop shop for all aspects of housing advice. It offers advice and assistance on housing and housing related issues.

Whether you’re worried about benefits, debt, housing, health or wellbeing, or need help getting online, you can also chat in confidence with a BetterOff Salford advisor, either face to face in a Gateway centre or via a video call. You can also use the BetterOff website to check benefit entitlement, apply for Universal Credit and search for jobs and childcare.

Get help face to face

Gateway centres are located across Salford and are open Monday to Thursday 8am to 10pm, Friday 8am to 6.30pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm and have free internet. You can access a centre at one of the following locations:

• Broughton Hub, 50 Rigby Street, Salford
• Eccles Gateway, 28 Barton Road, Eccles
• Pendleton Gateway, 1 Broadwalk, Salford
• Swinton Gateway, 100 Chorley Road, Swinton
• Walkden Gateway, 2 Smith Street, Walkden

Affordable loans

Salford Credit Union provides a range of affordable loans and help with money to members. These can help people budget and cope with unexpected emergencies as well as encouraging people to start saving, often for the first time. For more information call 0161 686 5880 10am to 12 noon Monday to Friday or email [email protected] 

You can also find out more from national resources like Money Saving Expert topics. Money and mental health