Aroundtown Magazine May June 2022 Edition

FAMILY
Make your money
go further
with RotherFed
We’re facing the biggest
income squeeze in a
generation as the rising
cost of living becomes a
heavy burden to carry. Many
families will begin to see a
decline in living standards
as their budgets erode,
leaving them teetering
on the edge of a poverty
precipice.
A Rotherham-based charity is helping to
stabilise residents at risk of spiralling into
financial hardship by offering free services,
advice and guidance to tackle the cost of living
crisis.
Rotherham Federation, aka RotherFed, has
been harnessing the power of communities
for 15 years, giving the people of Rotherham a
voice to grow and develop the area they live in.
Last year, they launched two new projects to
support people feeling the squeeze from rising
bills – and that was before the likes of the energy
cap, fuel costs, inflation, water rates, national
insurance contributions, and council tax bills had
risen dramatically.
Whether you’re in paid employment, are
retired, are a student, or in receipt of benefits, no
matter our income everyone is having to tighten
the purse strings. RotherFed is there to listen
and help you access the free support you need
to make ends meet.
“
Around £16 billion in
benefits goes unclaimed
each year, so you could
be missing out on money
you’re entitled to
”
48 aroundtownmagazine.co.uk
Making Our Money
Go Further
This is a three-year project aimed at
changing the way communities think
and talk about managing money.
Working in partnership with Rotherham
Citizens Advice, the free service is lottery funded
and advises people in Rotherham how to cut
their bills without cutting back.
We’re all paying considerably more for
necessities. But in Yorkshire, over 40 percent of
families are living below the minimum income
standard. If you’re worried about affording the
basics, are struggling to pay all your bills, or
would like to know how to budget, the Making
Our Money Go Further project is there to help.
The project is multi-faceted, providing
practical tools needed to deal with money
worries. RotherFed staff together with staff
and volunteers at Rotherham Citizens advice
are on-hand to help you reduce expenditure,
increase income and renegotiate outgoings.
This might be speaking to a Citizens Advice
advisor about any government benefits you’re
eligible for or if claiming benefits means you
qualify for discounts on your council tax, water
rates or broadband contracts. Around £16
billion in benefits goes unclaimed each year,
so you could be missing out on money you’re
entitled to.
Have you ever looked at your outgoings
to see if you could pay less for the same
things? The RotherFed team can empower
you to save money on childcare bills through
government initiatives like tax-free childcare,
recycle children’s school uniforms at a uniform
drive, cancel unused subscriptions, or haggle
with your broadband and TV provider to get a
better deal.
Maybe you’d benefit from some budgeting
advice. There are now many apps available that
can be linked to your bank account so you can
“
The RotherFed team are
big advocates for saving
on your shopping and
regularly offer taste tests
”
see exactly which bills are rising and where you
might be able to cut back.
With rising food prices, the total at the till
seems to be more each week - even after
resisting the luxury items. Most supermarkets
have their own budget or saver ranges, as well