MONEY MATTERS: Energy crisis support

If that’s you and you have less than £150 left at the end of the month, after you’ve paid essential bills like food, rent, gas and electricity, you may be entitled. This support payment is called the Energy Crisis Support Scheme and requires you to complete a form online to assess your eligibility. To complete the form online visit www.rotherham.gov.uk and search for ‘Energy Crisis Support Scheme’.

Employment:

• Search for a job. If you are currently not in work, see who’s hiring. If you are struggling to know where to start, the Employment Solutions team may be able to help. From assistance writing a CV, interview tips and searching for the right job, our trained professionals can help you find a job or training opportunity.

Please get in touch at [email protected]

• Look for a better paid job. If you have a job currently, that maybe does not pay much or is part-time, now might be the best time to search for something better. Try using job search engines to set up alerts for the type of job you are looking for, or setting aside some time each week to make applications for new jobs.

• Get extra work. If you have time on your side, you could try to find multiple jobs to make up your hours and boost your income. It can be tricky to find jobs that work around each other but talking to local businesses and handing out your CV is another way to search for employment.

Benefits:

Make sure you are claiming any benefits you are entitled to. You may be able to claim benefits if you are on a low income, if you are sick, disabled, are a carer or if you are seeking employment.

You can use this online benefit calculator to check your entitlement https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

Making money in other ways:

• Declutter your home and sell your unwanted goods. Try eBay, but watch out for fees, which can eat into any profits you make. Or, sell for less on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

• Make money from your hobbies. Do you spend your free time painting, sewing, baking? Many of your hobbies could be a service or product that other people will want to purchase.

• Boost your savings rate. Interest rates on savings accounts have changed, some accounts have better rates than others, so it's definitely worth switching if your interest rate is rock bottom.

• Get paid to switch bank accounts. Some banks will pay cash or vouchers worth up to £175 to switch your current account. Please seek advice before switching as your credit score can be affected.