Category Archives: Money Sense

Money Buddy services

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Money Buddy services staff can help with Benefit see below the last sessions this year which are on

Monday 14 and 21 Dec from 9 to 12 at HEART – Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre, LS6 3HN
Tuesday 15 and 22 Dec from 9 to 12 at Meanwood Community Centre, LS7 2QU
Thursday 17 Dec from 10 to 4 at St Paul’s Church, Ireland Wood, Leeds, Raynel Dr, LS16 6BS
Thursday 24 Dec at Welcome In Community Centre & Cafe, LS16 6DJ


Please feel free to book a slot or just drop in for advice.
If you want to book an appointment contact us on 0113 2350276 or by email to admin@egac.org
or via www.moneybuddies.org.uk/client-referral/

 

Image may contain: text that says "benefitbuddies Not sure what benefits you can claim? YOU ARE NOT ALONE Speak to a benefit buddy near you We support clients all across Leeds We don't charge, We don't tell, We don't judge Call us on: 0113 235 0276 moneybuddies.org.uk benefit buddies can help you Check your Entitlements Complete Benefit Forms With Assessments and Appeals With Support at DWP meetings"

Covid Scam Alert – Christmas Edition

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The latest Monthly alert outlines trending fraud patterns during the current COVID-19 pandemic and what we can do to stay protected. There have been further reports of scams, doorstep Crime and business complaints all relating to the COVID-19 pandemic here in West Yorkshire.

This news alert will give you an indication of the current situation here in West Yorkshire.

This edition also includes Christmas Shopping tips and advice to help you keep safe from seasonal scams

covid19 scam alert issue 21

‘Big Energy Saving Winter Event’ Thursday 26th November 2020 @11am

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Worried about energy bills this winter? Green Doctors are here to help!
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This is a free service aiming to tackle fuel poverty & promote affordable warmth by advising households on ways to reduce energy costs (Provided by Groundwork Yorkshire). They have helped many people save over £300 per year on their energy costs.
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They also help you to ensure house repairs are undertaken and provide advice on various benefits, all for free.
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Call 0113 238 0601 to speak to a member of their team

You can learn more about energy saving tips for yourself by joining the: ‘Big Energy Saving’ Event

This is a UK-wide campaign delivered by Citizens Advice, Energy Saving Trust and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) that aims to help you cut your energy bills and access financial support you may be entitled to.

The impact of Covid-19 on energy usage over the coming months is expected to be greater than ever, and energy bills are a big worry for many this winter. Green Doctors are a team of expert energy advisers offering free support to vulnerable residents all year round to help them get on top of energy debt, switch provider, access grants and manage their energy use in the home.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/big-energy-saving-winter-tickets-127303204311?aff=erelexpmlt

Green Doctor Logo

Warning to Royal Mail customers over new e-mail con that can be hard to spot

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From Leeds Live

With Christmas just around the corner a convincing scam email has been circulated that is targeting users, the Express reports.

It is asking people to pay just a £1.99 fee for an undelivered item of mail – but while the sum might seem small, what they actually want is bank account details.

Now Local Neighborhood Watch schemes have issued a warning urging customers to be extra careful about the new phishing scam.

It comes after a message that was recently received by a Royal Mail customer. The email claimed that Royal Mail had tried to deliver a letter unsuccessfully. And it simply asked the resident to pay a fee of £1.99 in order to redeliver the item.

To do this, they were encouraged to enter bank details online in order to complete the transaction. Both the low fee and the style of the email made the recipient think it could be legitimate.

Just to be on the safe side, however, they contacted fraud experts first – and were warned off.

The email was sent to a homeowner in the Buckinghamshire area – and now customers across the UK have been urged to be careful.

Ray Walsh, digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy, said: “Anybody who receives an email claiming to be from the Royal Mail must remember that they will not ever be asked to pay a redelivery fee.

“Never input your bank or card information after following a link on any email that claims it is from the Royal Mail, because it will result in your card details being stolen by criminals.

“If you have reason to believe that you may have been tricked, it is essential that you contact your bank and cancel your card at once. Additionally, check your statements for any signs of unauthorised transactions.”

The Royal Mail has also got advice for anyone who thinks they could be getting tricked.

A statement on its website said: “If you receive a suspicious email or discover a Royal Mail-branded website which you think is fraudulent, please let us know by contacting us.

“If you have been the victim of a payment scam, you can get a crime reference number by reporting it to your local police station.”

Please keep yourself safe and if you have anything you are unsure of just get in touch with family, friends, or even our ourselves to talk it through. We need to keep vigilant together.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/…/answe…/detail/a_id/303

Royal Mail - Wikipedia

Green Homes Grant Scheme is now open

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The Green Homes Grant gives homeowners in England vouchers to help cover the cost of energy efficient improvements to their home – such as low carbon heating systems, insulation or double glazing to replace single glazing.

For most, the vouchers will be worth about two-thirds of the cost of the energy efficient improvements, up to a maximum of £5,000 per household.  If you are a private tenant your landlord can apply.

However, if you’re on a low income or certain benefits, you can get vouchers of up to £10,000 to cover the entire cost of installing the measures. (Homeowners only)

Qualifying benefits: income-based/contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-based/contribution-based employment and support allowance, income support, pension ‘guarantee’ credit, working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit, disability living allowance, personal independence payment, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, severe disablement allowance, industrial injuries disablement benefit and housing benefit.

Vouchers must be used to install at least one primary home insulation, (solid wall, under floor, cavity wall, loft, flat roof, room in roof), or low carbon heating measure.

If you install at least 1 of these, your voucher can also be used to help cover the cost of any of the following secondary measures: draught proofing, double/triple glazing (where replacing single glazed windows), secondary glazing (in addition to single glazing), external energy efficient doors (replacing single glazed or solid doors installed before 2002), heating controls or hot water tank thermostats and insulation. This can only be up to the same value as the primary measure.

All work must be completed within 6 months (by the end of March 2021) so if you want to take advantage of this scheme you need to do so as soon as possible.

There is now a Government website where you can find all the infomation and apply for a Green Homes Grant

Simple Energy Advice has lots of information as well as tools to help you check eligibility and find accredited tradespeople:  www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk   Or you can call them on 0800 444202.

Alternatively, if you want to chat to Valerie about this – call 0748 3333 115 or email valerie@caringtogether.org.uk

Free Pop-up Shops at Hyde Park Book Club this weekend

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https://www.facebook.com/CommunityActionWaste are organising free pop-up shops at https://www.facebook.com/hydeparkbookclub on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 11am – 3pm.

REDUCE & REUSE
Come down to our Free Shop to pick up all your uni/household essentials! We have:
🌳 Kitchenware
🌳 Electric heaters
🌳 Vintage second-hand clothes
🌳 Decorations

Absolutely everyone is welcome to come and we will have covid-safe procedures in place.

 

The Little Book of Big Scams

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Alongside the weekly scams news alert, the latest edition of the The Little Book of BIG Scams is now available to download  from West Yorkshire Trading Standards website

What are the most prevalent scams? How to spot them and stay safe!

Originally written by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Cyber Crime Unit, and reproduced with their kind permission, the book provides a comprehensive break down of the different types of scams and frauds. It also gives hints and tips about how someone can reduce their chances or those of a loved one, of being a victim and what to do if they do are targeted by criminals.

Changes to free TV Licences

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TV Licensing logo

I’m sure you will have heard the news that free TV licences for all those aged 75 or over will come to an end on 1st August.  This was initially going to happen on 1st June this year but was extended due to lockdown.

This means that you won’t automatically be entitled to free TV licence once you reach the age of 75.  If you receive Pension Credit you will still be able to apply for a free TV licence.

You should be entitled to Pension Credit if you have income of less than £173.75 for a single person or £265.20 for a couple. Benefits checkers such as Turn2us can help you work out if you are entitled to this or other benefits.  If you think you eligible and don’t already receive it you can apply online at gov.uk Pension Credit or on the Pension Credit Claim Line 0800 99 1234.

If you already have a free over 75 licence you will be covered until 31 July 2020. You don’t need to do anything just yet. TV licensing will be writing to all free over 75 licence holders soon to let you know how you may be affected and what you will need to do next.  You do not need to make any payments until you have received this letter.

If you do need to pay for your licence after August, please take extra care to make sure you are paying the correct people.  There are a number of scams circulating around TV licence payments and these are likely to increase at this time.  There is some useful information about avoiding and reporting TV Licence scams on their website here

If you are 75 and get Pension Credit, you won’t get your free licence automatically, you will need to apply for it.  You can apply now if you wish but TV licensing say  there is plenty of time and you don’t have to rush to do it.

More information about all of the changes, including how to apply for a free licence is on The TV Licensing website.  It should also be in the letter they send to you.

If you want some help or advice  about applying for a free TV Licence or about Pension Credit  (or both), please contact Valerie at Caring Together and we can work through it together to see what you are entitled to and to help you apply

 

Cash machine scam – warning to be vigilant

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West Yorkshire Police are asking residents of Headingley and Hyde Park to be vigilant when the withdrawing cash from local ATM machines. Four camera devices have been found in the past few weeks attached to ATM machines in these  areas. These carefully disguised devices are fixed above the cash machines and video record users inputting codes into the machine through a pin hole camera. This information is later used to defraud the customer. West Yorkshire Police are investigating these incidents and ask for any suspicious devices or behaviour around cash machines to be reported to us immediately.

University PC Mark Bottomley gives the following advice:

Always cover the keypad when entering your PIN with your hand.

If you notice anything unusual, odd or different about the machine or there are signs of tampering; do not use it, report it to the bank immediately and don’t let others use the machine.

If your cash or cards get trapped within the machine, report it to the bank immediately.

Stand close to the machine to avoid prying eyes over your shoulder and challenge anyone stood too close to you.

Don’t let any strangers distract you when at the ATM.

Always put your cash and card away before leaving the cash machine and never leave a receipt behind.

Finally always check your bank statements, fraudsters often will use low value transactions in an attempt to hide their thefts over a long period of time. Immediately notify your card company if something appears wrong.”