Low Income?
Ten top tips
- Don't bury your head in the sand
- Get advice – it’s smart to ask for help
- Pay priority debts first – not whoever screams the loudest
- Work out a budget – and stick to it
- Check if you can save money on bills
- Check if you can get benefits – and if you get all that you have rights to
- Borrowing money to pay off debts usually makes things worse – get advice first
- Don't ignore rent or mortgage problems
- Check your rights if you lose your job
- Get help if you are feeling stressed – a trouble shared, is a trouble halved.
George House Trust and other HIV organisations offer help and advice in NW England
details of WHAT help is available WHERE here
Other sources of general low income advice and help:
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) 
Citizens Advice offer help in most towns across NW England. Citizens Advice have been helping people for around 70 years and have an excellent name. They have a strong confidentiality policy and welcome everyone, including people with HIV.
They are free, independent, accurate, impartial and confidential.
The advisers are thoroughly trained and skilled in using a highly detailed information system to answer almost any question and problem.
Citizens Advice Guide Online
On the Citizens Advice website - AdviceGuide - you can find information, advice, and answers to many simple problems.
Find your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
If you need one to one help, or have a more complicated problem, you can find your nearest advice bureau by using your postcode here
Coping with the Downturn
The CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau) and TUC (Trades Union Congress) have put together a leaflet Coping with the Downturn, packed with excellent help and advice. It has information about
- redundancy
- benefits you can claim
- how to deal with debt
- looking for a new job
- getting training.
Real Help Now
The DirectGov website has a special section Real Help Now, with practical information and advice, and help for keeping your home, with training and skills, and with jobs and benefits. There’s a Real Help leaflet (including a version for people over 60).
It has sections on
- redundancy
- budgeting and finances
- help in the job market
- keeping your home
- debt and borrowing money
- help with the cost of education.
Staying Healthy on a low income
The NHS Choices website has a credit crunch section that helps you cope with the stress of money and other problems and helps you to look after your health. There’s an
NHS Stressline to call- advice on coping with stress
- looking after your relationship while dealing with your problems
- eating well on a budget
- shopping on a budget
- keeping fit without gym fees
- 10 top stress-buster tips.
There’s even more on the same page, such as tools to
- check your fitness
- 5 a day meal planners
- a quick depression checker
- and more …..
Click the links to the other pages in this Low Income section, in the menu on the left
- Increasing Income
- Cutting Spending
- Dealing with Debt
- George House Trust low income help
- Where to get help.
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