How to be a JAM-my dodger? 

Teresa May coined the term Just About Managing or JAM families are those who are living pay date to pay date with little left to save or cover increased costs and this year, with increases expected in energy; food and rents it can be hard for many to see how their wages can cover everything.  Help is available:

1. Check any entitlement to benefits, a quick 10 minute check can let you see if any financial help is available through means-tested benefits. Even a small amount of Universal Credit can lead to entitlement to lots of other schemes helping reduce health; child care; school meals or heating costs.
2. Build a budget, use your latest bank statements to see where your money is going and ask yourself the following:
3. Do I recognise the payments?  Anything you don’t recognise should be explored and identified. 
4. Do you have direct debts set up for services you are not using?  If so cancel them.
5. Look for cost savings – music streaming services can be used for free if you put up with a few adverts but the cash in your pocket could cover an extra bill elsewhere.
6. If your money coming in is lower than bills going out we can help – contact us for money advice
7. With the ‘energy crisis’ limiting cheaper energy deals for many, you could still save money by improving your energy efficiency – better for the planet and your wallet!
8. If your water bill is high look for savings, water meters can save money and even be capped at a maximum price in certain circumstances.
9. Council Tax can be reduced by 25% if you are the only adult in the property (or if other adults are students) and more savings are possible if your income is low or you have an adapted property. You can apply online: www3.halton.gov.uk/Pages/CouncilandBenefits/Housing-Benefits.aspx
10. If you live in Halton and travel over the bridges between Widnes and Runcorn than a Local User Discount can save you £££
11. If you have to pay for more than 3 prescribed items each month you can save money via the NHS Pre payment scheme
12. Mobile phone; internet and tv packages can quickly spiral out of control when you want to keep up with your favourite programs or devices but help can be available to reduce the cost if your struggling.  The costs of a handset will remain but your usage may be able to be reduced if you are experiencing hardship, you will need to call your provider and ask if they can help.
13. Insurance deals are still out their for car and house insurance so check out if you can get a better deal before you renew each year.

To check what benefits you are entitled to, go to www.entitledto.co.uk.