Category Financial support Show all
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Free maths and budgeting courses with Multiply
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At the Cheshire West and Chester Work Zones, you can access free maths courses to improve your skills, learn how to manage a budget, or get qualifications to help you find quality employment. All you need is to be over the age of 19, and to not already have a Level 2 qualification in maths (A-C at maths GCSE).
The government-funded Multiply programme is designed to help people gain skills and feel confident using maths in their daily lives. There are a wide range of courses available.
Maths workshops
If you don't want to do a qualification but do want to learn practical numeracy skills, the Work Zones offer interactive courses that help you apply maths to everyday tasks like cooking. For example, the Ellesmere Port Work Zone offers courses on food budgeting and money managing. Learning how to cook an affordable meal and stay on top of how much you're spending on your groceries is more important than ever as the cost of living rises.
Alternatively, you could do a 'Brush up on your Maths' course at Chester Work Zone to build your confidence in maths.
The workshops take around 5-10 hours and can be completed in a couple of sessions. They're very flexible, so you can do them in-person, in the Work Zones or school hubs, or online.
Get a maths qualification
If you want to get a qualification in maths, you could do a Functional Skills Maths course which will have an assessment at the end. You can do Entry 3, Level 1, or Level 2 functional maths skills. A Level 2 qualification is equivalent to an A-C GCSE in maths.
Maths Award courses
If you're less confident in your maths or find assessments stressful, you can take a Maths Award course. These courses will be adapted to fit your ability and your learning style to help you gain maths skills that will be useful in your daily life. You can use your coursework to achieve the award instead of an exam, and then go on to do a Functional Skills qualification afterwards if you wish.
How do I book a course?
To find out more about the courses and sign up, please contact your local Work Zone from the list below to see what they offer. If you don't want to phone, you can pop into the Work Zone.
- Ellesmere Port Work Zone, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65
- Tel: 07990 532 869
- Northwich Work Zone, Waterside House, Navigation Road, Northwich, CW8 1BE
- Tel: 07833 236 675
- Winsford Work Zone, Wyvern House, The Drumber, Winsford, CW7 1AH
- Tel: 07766 205 389
- Chester Work Zone, The Bluecoat Buildings, Upper Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 4EE
- Tel: 07775 717 122
Alternatively, you can send an email to multiply@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk to get more information and sign up for a course. Or, you can call Simon Dutton:
- Tel: 07798 742 100
Multiply for parents
If you are a parent, Multiply also offers courses in certain schools, including how to 'Help your child with maths'. For more information, contact your local Work Zone from the list above.
Book-keeping courses coming soon
From September 2023, Work Zones are also going to be offering workshops on bookkeeping. So, if you want to set up a business or run one already, you can gain the skills you need to manage your own finances.
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Household Support Fund
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Household Support FundMany people are struggling with the rising cost of living. If you're one of those people, then the Household Support Fund may be able to help you.
Recently extended by the Government until 31 March 2024, the Household Support Fund is there to support households in the most need, especially with energy costs, food, water bills and other related essential items. The fund is available to a broad range of low-income households across the borough including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers, and people with disabilities.
It's worth noting that you don't need to be getting benefits to receive help from the Household Support Fund and if you are receiving benefits the additional funding to help with the cost of living will not affect your benefits.
To find out more about the Household Support Fund and to check if you're eligible to apply, visit:
Cost of living supportThere is also information and guidance about food provision, money advice and mental health and wellbeing support on the Council's cost of living page:
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Live Well Cheshire West
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If you're looking for support in your local area, look no further than Live Well. Live Well Cheshire West is a website produced by the Council, working with the NHS. It can help you find information about local services, support, activities, and events for everyone across a broad range of subjects including social care, health and wellbeing, education, employment, support for carers and much more.
Visit the Live Well page and put in your postcode or area, along with the type of support you are looking for, to find services near you. You can also filter the results by all sorts of different requirements like whether the service can cater to dietary requirements, or whether they are open before or after school times. Live Well offers support to people of all ages, including children and families.
Live Well Cheshire West: Malpas Community KitchenMoney Matters
There is a dedicated Money Matters section which can show you support for bills, budgeting, debt, benefits, and more. For example, if you live in rural Cheshire and are worried about affording hot meals for yourself or your family, you could visit Malpas Community Kitchen on a Wednesday lunchtime and enjoy a hot meal for free, no referral needed.
turn2us: Your Situation A-ZIf you are struggling to pay your bills as the cost of living rises, you may be eligible for benefits that you are not yet claiming. Live Well can direct you to this A-Z list of welfare benefits and grants, made by Turn2Us.
Changing Lives Together: What we doYou might need a new fridge or washing machine but not be able to afford a large sum right now. On Live Well, you can see a whole list of organisations that provide white goods and furniture at affordable prices. Changing Lives Together offer new and reused furniture for low prices, as well as many other services like distributing food that would otherwise have gone to waste, connecting socially isolated members of the community, and providing a community bus service to help residents get around.
Watch this short video which shows you how to find the information you're looking for on Live Well Cheshire West.
If you know anyone who is not online, Live Well can be accessed at any local Cheshire West and Chester Council library. Staff at the library can help people get online and find services to improve their computer skills.
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Help with broadband, TV or phone bills
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Mobile phones and broadband are essential for using online services like banking and job applications, but two million households in the UK struggle to afford their internet bill.
Cheaper broadband if you receive benefits
Did you know that if you receive certain benefits, you might be able to get a low-cost plan from your broadband or mobile provider? If you receive Universal Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, or Employment and Support Allowance, take a look at the list of cheap tariffs that you could access on the Ofcom website. Remember, if you are switching packages, check whether there’s a cancellation fee first.
Ofcom: Cheaper broadband and phone packages
Find your nearest JobcentreFree broadband if you're a jobseeker
If you're looking for work, you can go to your local Jobcentre and request a voucher to get free broadband from TalkTalk. The voucher allows you to get six months of TalkTalk's Fibre 35 broadband service with no contract or credit check required. There is no cancellation fee at the end of the six months.
MoneyHelper: Debt advice locatorStruggling to pay your bills?
If you're struggling to pay your mobile phone bill, there are steps you can take to make it more affordable. It's important to keep up with your payments if you can. This isn’t just so you don't lose your connection, but also because it could affect your credit score if you don’t.
If you need help, contact your provider as soon as possible to explain the situation. Many providers have support in place to help you, such as changing your bill date, setting up an affordable repayment plan, moving to a different tariff, or lowering your spending cap.
If you are still worried about paying your bills and need debt advice, you can find free debt advice near you. Check out the MoneyHelper locator for online, telephone, and face-to-face debt advice at no charge.
How to save money on your home phone and broadbandSave money by switching packages
If you're on a mobile phone contract, you might be able to move to a cheaper pay-as-you go tariff or sim-only deal. MoneyHelper have created a guide on how to shop around to find the cheapest phone and broadband packages that work for you.
Citizens Advice: Guide to cancelling phone, TV, internet or mobile contractsBefore you switch packages, make sure to check if you have to pay a fee to end your current contract early. There's a useful guide on cancelling a phone, TV, internet, or mobile contract on the Citizens Advice website.
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Save money on your prescriptions
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Did you know that you can pay a set amount per month for as many prescriptions as you need? As long as you live in England, you can sign up for a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) from the NHS which may make your prescriptions cheaper.
A 3 or 12-month PPC covers all your prescriptions for that period, no matter how many you need. A prescription costs £9.65 per item, but a PPC costs:
- £31.25 for 3 months
- £111.60 for 12 months
This means if you’re going to buy 4 or more prescriptions in 3 months, or 12 or more prescriptions in 12 months, you could save money with a prescription prepayment certificate.
You can pay in 10 monthly instalments if you buy a 12-month prescription prepayment certificate.
How to get a prescription prepayment certificate
You can buy PPCs online or call the order line on 0300 330 1341 and pay by debit card or credit card. Please be aware that there is a charge for the phoneline.
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Save money with a simple boiler hack
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Money Saving Boiler ChallengeDo you own a combi boiler? By turning down your boiler flow temperature to 60 degrees Celsius or below, you could save £112 a year. It is best to seek professional advice before adjusting your boiler. You can ask to have it done with your boiler's annual service.
Turning down your boiler flow temperature could also reduce your household's annual carbon emissions by 173kg. This equates to 429 miles driven by the average vehicle.
Many combi boilers in the UK burn more gas, generate more carbon emissions and cost more in energy bills than they need to. Nesta, a charity working on innovations for social good, states that the average household has their boiler flow temperature set at 80 degrees. However, they found that by reducing this to 60 degrees it can cut gas use by around 12 per cent and in tests only made the warm-up time around 10 minutes longer.
Since October 2022, when Nesta launched the Money Saving Boiler Challenge, over 180,000 people have adjusted their boiler flow temperature, saving a total £20m on energy bills and 31,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Getting your combi boiler flow temperature adjusted is easy, free, and one of the best ways to cut energy bills. Find out more on Nesta's website, but please take care when adjusting boiler settings - consult a professional first.
Money Saving Expert: Energy saving tips - checklist to save £100sMore money saving tips from Nesta
- Turn down the temperature on your radiators to the mid-point on the dial. By reducing the setting on radiators outside the living room, such as in bedrooms and non-living areas, your household could save £68 a year.
- Turn down the hot water temperature on combi boilers to 42°C. Turning down the hot water temperature for taps and showers on a combi boiler could save a typical household £26, or 2 per cent off their gas bill, per year.
- Reduce your hot water cylinder temperature to 60°C. Homes that have heating systems with a separate hot water cylinder can turn down the temperature of the cylinder itself so that you aren’t heating water unnecessarily. Setting your hot water cylinder to 60°C could cut 2 per cent off a household's gas use, or £26 off a typical gas bill, each year.
You can find more energy saving tips on the Money Saving Expert website:
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West Cheshire Credit Union
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The West Cheshire Credit Union is a local financial co-operative commissioned by the Council, working with Health and Housing groups, to deliver a saving and loan service for residents. Operating on a not-for-profit basis, they have over 4,100 active members who live, work, study or volunteer in Cheshire West, Cheshire East, or Flintshire.
The cost of living crisis means that essential goods and services are becoming more expensive than ever. Whether you are saving for something special or need help to pay for an unexpected cost, West Cheshire Credit Union aims to provide safe and affordable financial services to all members of the community.
Keep reading to find out about their most popular services.
- With the Family Loan, members can apply for up to £800 and repayments are made via Child Benefits. A portion of the benefit is used for loan repayment, with the rest being placed into your savings account or other chosen bank account. This helps residents save money while also staying out of debt. You can apply for the Family Loan (and membership) online or in branch
- The Payroll Saver helps people to put aside money from their earnings to save for big events like Christmas and family holidays. West Cheshire Credit Union is working with many high-profile companies to help people save directly from their wages. To find out if your employer is signed up, visit the Credit Union's Savings page
- The Junior Saver is a savings account for children and young people from birth to age 16. Account holders are offered 3 per cent interest on balances of up to £3,000. It also encourages children and young people to learn about money to prepare them for later life.
The West Cheshire Credit Union is regulated via the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulatory Authority, just like high street banks, so members can rest assured that their savings are safe and secure with cover of up to £85,000 provided by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.