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MONEY MATTERS MONEY MATTERS Taste the difference <strong>Connect</strong>’s Money Matters Team ran the ‘Downshift Challenge’ at our Thrive launch event in September. They were on hand to talk about the work they do helping tenants with budgeting and debt advice, benefits, fuel poverty and finding work. The team asked event attendees to take the ‘Downshift Challenge’ to see if they could taste the difference between premiumbranded and value-branded products. The challenge wasn’t about forcing people to drop down a brand level, but to ensure they weren’t spending money for no reason. If you can’t tell the difference with the lower brand level goods, then why pay more for them? Participants had to guess which the more expensive product was by taste alone. Then decide if the additional price was worth it. Over 100 people took part in the challenge and couldn’t believe the price variations for little difference in taste. Some people even thought the non-branded items tasted better! About the service Money Matters is a free and confidential service that provides: Help with welfare reform and benefits Budgeting and debt advice Ways of reducing fuel costs and improving energy efficiency Digital skills training Help creating CVs, job searching, volunteer and apprenticeship opportunities Health and wellbeing support Benefit cap update In the Summer issue of <strong>Get</strong> <strong>Connect</strong>ed, we informed you about the benefit changes announced by the Government in July 2015. If you are affected by these changes you should already have received two letters from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) advising of how these changes affect you. Below are the dates that these changes start and the new proposed maximum benefit amounts will be. • If your benefits were already capped at the existing maximum amount, then your entitlement will have been reduced to the new limit from 7th November 2016. • If your benefits are not currently capped but you will be affected by the new amount, that will take place on 19th December 2016 if you live in Kirklees and 9th January 2017 if you live in Leeds. New weekly benefit cap Proposed changes from Autumn 2016 £385 Two parent family Single parent family £258 Single person Any cap in your benefit entitlement will be taken from your Housing Benefit, which means that if you are affected you will have a shortfall in your rent to pay. Michelle Cox is currently contacting all tenants who are affected by the benefit caps as she may be able to help. Michelle can help you find out if you qualify for any additional financial help through Discretionary Housing Payments, if you meet any of the exemption criteria and help you understand what you need to pay. If you are concerned about the benefit cap or have any other financial worries, please contact Michelle using the details on this page and the Money Matters Team will try their best to help. <strong>Get</strong> in touch ››› To see how our free and confidential service might be able to help you, or to find out more about the benefit cap, please contact: Michelle Cox, Money Matters Team T: 0300 5000 600 E: moneymatters@connecthousing.org.uk Money advice this Winter Winter Fuel Payment You could get between £100 - £300 tax-free to pay your heating bills if you were born on or before 5th January 1953. Usually this is paid automatically if you get the State Pension. If you qualify but don’t get paid automatically, you can make a claim. Visit: www.gov.uk/winter-fuelpayment Cold Weather Payment You may get a payment if you receive certain benefits. Payments are made when your local temperature is recorded as, or forecast to be, an average of 0°C or below over seven consecutive days. You’ll get a payment of £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather between 1st November 2016 and 31st March 2017. Visit www.gov.uk/coldweather-payment Christmas Christmas should be a happy occasion spent with family and friends, but for some it can be a time of financial worry and stress. There can be a great deal of pressure to spend money on presents and entertaining, even though bills, including rent, have to be paid. If you’re having difficulty with debts or struggling to pay your rent please contact our Money Matters team. 4 5