Most of the content on this intranet is made up of ex county council information due to the county intranet being turned off. Please read the blog to find out more about how we have developed this new intranet and where you can go to find information that relates to you.
Financial wellbeing
Where to find help with financial wellbing including cost of living, food banks, money and pensions guidance, gambling support, making a will.
Cost of living support
If you need to talk to someone urgently the Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123 or online at Samaritans.org
Able Futures provide a wide range of mental health support service delivered by qualified health care professionals. The service is confidential, fast and flexible and is available over the phone, through email and face-to-face meetings.
Contact Able Futures and speak to a mental health professional about whatever is playing on your mind at work:
Able Futures website
Email: hello@able-futures.co.uk
Call their Freephone number 0800 321 3137 (8am to 10.30pm, Monday to Friday)
With the cost of living on the rise, there will be people in Cumbria who are struggling, whether that's emotionally, financially or just because they need practical help to get in touch and seek support.
It can be daunting to search through what is on offer and to find what you need. The information below provides local information for Cumbrian residents on a range of helpful topics.
You might feel worried or find yourself in a position you have never experienced before, but please don't wait for problems to get worse, there are many local organisations that can help.
Food banks and baby basics
If you are struggling to feed yourself or your family there are organisations that can help. They are used by hundreds of people every week in Cumbria from all walks of life.
Many food projects make use of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, distributing it locally or turning it into hot meals.
Foodbanks can provide emergency food parcels in a crisis.
Baby Basics is a volunteer-led project aiming to support new mothers and families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby. Baby Basics started in Sheffield in the spring of 2009, this centre continues to support families across Sheffield working with a wide range of frontline health and social care professionals. There is an ever increasing network of Baby Basics centres across the country each staffed by a committed team of volunteers.
Find your nearest Baby Basics Centre
Baby Basics provides much needed essentials and equipment to mothers and families who are unable to provide these items for themselves; including but not limited to teenage mums, people seeking asylum and women fleeing domestic abuse and trafficking.
Money Helper
MoneyHelper is a free service provided by the Money and Pensions Service, providing free and impartial money and pensions guidance for people all across the UK.
It includes:
- advice and guides to help improve your finances
- tools and calculators to help keep track and plan ahead
- help with the cost of living, dealing with debt, benefits, pensions and retirement and much more
As well as information, you can start a webchat and talk to trained staff.
There is a wealth of information available on the Government funded website - Money Helper
Gambling support
Are gambling problems affecting you, or those close to you? GamCare is the leading UK provider of free information, advice and support for anyone harmed by gambling. The leading provider of support for anyone affected by problem gambling in Great Britain.
Being a compulsive gambler can harm your health and relationships, and leave you in serious debt.If you have a problem with gambling and you'd like to stop, support and treatment is available.
Help for problem gambling - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Citizens Advice
You can contact Citizens Advice by phone, email or online chat: Contact your nearest Citizens Advice
Chat lets you talk to a trained adviser online. You can:
- Talk to us about a debt problem - we can usually help between 8am and 7pm, Monday to Friday
- Talk to us about any other kind of problem - we can usually help between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday
Or you can contact an adviser through their national phone service:
- Adviceline: 03444 111 444
- Text relay: 03444 111 445
If you have any questions about claiming Universal Credit you can talk in complete confidence to an adviser who can support you through the process.
Pension member self service and death grant
Latest updates from Local Pension Partnership Administration (LPPA)
Cumbria Local Government Pension Scheme is open to all employees apart from teaching staff or uniformed fire fighters who have their own pension schemes. Pensions form a valuable element of an employee's remuneration package and you are now able to access your own Local Government Pension Scheme membership record securely from PensionPoint
Member Self Service is now available from PensionPoint - register/login
For pension queries please email askpensions@localpensionspartnership.org.uk or Telephone: 0300 323 0260 (8am to 6pm).
Death Grant Nomination
Have you made a nomination to ensure that in the event of your death, any death grant payable, is made to the right person(s)?
Credit Unions
Credit Unions are community savings and loans cooperatives. They offer members the chance to save regularly and to access great value, low interest loans linked to the value of their savings.
Credit unions are open to everyone who lives or work in the areas that they serve regardless of your level of personal household income. If you want to benefit from saving on a regular basis and being able to borrow money at a low interest rate then join your local credit union today.
Credit Unions are financial cooperatives owned and controlled by their members and are run by and for local people. Any financial surpluses from a credit union go towards developing the credit union and / or are returned to local members through a dividend. The only shareholders are therefore the local members who use its services. Credit unions are therefore local, ethical and of benefit to local residents and the wider local community that the money is retained within.
Credit unions offer an alternative to getting into financial difficulties from taking out high Annual Percentage Rate interest loans from legal doorstep lenders, payday advance services or illegal loan sharks.
Dying Matters
It's not a subject we tend to talk about but we will all die, whether expectedly or not. When we prepare for our own death in advance, we are able to relieve the decision making burden on those whom we love and also potentially avoid some of the financial difficulties that families can experience. It is also a good time to think about some of the practical steps that you can take to ease any burden on your family. There are some simple things that you can do such as:
- make sure that your pension information is up to date and complete a death nomination form
- think about your funeral, have you thought about whether you would prefer to be buried or cremated? Perhaps you would like a green funeral rather than a more traditional one
- write your will
Terminal illness
If you are a manager and have a member of staff who has been diagnosed as being terminally ill we have additional information on how the People Management and Occupational Health teams can provide additional support where time is a critical factor. Please contact People Management as soon as possible.
Funeral Plans
There are many things to think about and decide when arranging a funeral. It is often a difficult time for family and friends who are dealing with loss. A funeral is also, to some people's surprise, a lot more expensive than they thought, often costing thousands of pounds. Money Advice Service can give you a breakdown of costs and suggest a few ways to help you plan a good but affordable funeral.
Making a will
A will makes it much easier for your family or friends to sort everything out when you die - without a will the process can be more time consuming and stressful. If you don't write a will, everything you own will be shared out in a standard way defined by the law - which isn't always the way you might want. A will can help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind. Writing a will is especially important if you have children or other family who depend on you financially, or if you want to leave something to people outside your immediate family.
Visit money advice service for more information on why you should make a will and what your options might be.
Money Advice Service Making a will
Trade Unions - Free will writing service
Trade unions offer a free will writing service as part of their membership. Speak to your trade union representative if you would like to find out more about this. If you are a member of a Trade Union you may also wish to contact them for support.
Contact
Green Book Trade Unions which are formally recognised by the council:
- GMB email: gmbbranchsecretary@gmail.com
- Unison email: d.armstrong@unison.co.uk
- Unite - Ryan Armstrong, email: ryan.Armstrong@unitetheunion.org
Money Saving Expert
Free Mental Health and Debt guide
There is a free 44-page PDF booklet supported by Mind, Rethink, CAPUK and others, for people with mental health problems and those caring for them.
It covers how to handle debts when unwell, work with banks, free debt counselling, specific tips for bipolar disorder or depression sufferers, whether to declare a condition and more.