It's Talk Money Week 2020 - let's start a conversation about money?

Talk Money Week is an annual campaign run by the Money & Pensions Service. Its aim: to get the nation talking about money.

Held from 9th to the 13th November, Talk Money Week aims to reduce the stigma around money by encouraging conversations among families, friends, neighbours, colleagues and communities. Talking openly about money can have a huge impact on managing money worries, and is important for our overall health and relationships. The impact of Covid-19 has made it more important than ever to start conversations about money to look after our financial wellbeing.

Citizens Advice Gateshead is joining the conversation and encouraging everyone to #TalkMoney. This week also gives us the chance to celebrate the work we do to support the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing. Currently, only 32% of those who need debt advice in the UK actually access it; one of the strategy’s five goals is for 2 million people to receive the debt advice they need by 2030. Debt is one of the key issues that Citizens Advice Gateshead advise and campaign on. In October 2020 alone we gave debt advice to over 800 clients, and 11% of all of our clients’ issues concerned financial services or debt.

Citizens Advice Gateshead has a specialist Money Advice Service that is impartial and free.   Our specially trained advisers are there to help clients manage their debts and improve financial wellbeing in the long-term. It is really hard for people to come to terms with having financial difficulty: asking for help is already a huge step in the right direction. Our debt team helps clients both to understand and manage their situation. The team can help with budget planning, negotiate with creditors to make repayments more manageable, maximise income by exploring benefit entitlement and - where appropriate - set up debt relief orders.

Arianne Graven, Legal Advice Services Manager at the charity said

“Our free, impartial and quality assured debt advice service can advise people on budgeting, planning and making sure they are getting the income they’re entitled to while also reducing their outgoings. When times are hard, loans can seem like an easy way to access money, but there are many other options available; our job is to help people to explore them so people can choose the right one for them.”

Remember on Talk Money Week - if you live in Gateshead and need money advice you can ring the free confidential Debt Helpline on 0191 490 4248