Trading Standards is again warning people not to be tempted by ‘loan sharks’ this Christmas.
And they advise if you do find yourself ensnared to contact the confidential 24-hour Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 Helpline (0300 555 2222) for advice.
Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service’s latest concerns follow the publication of new figures by the England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT).
They say that nearly one in ten people turned to loan sharks to cover the costs of Christmas last year.
And more than half (52 %) of victims turned to illegal money...
More than a quarter of people are resorting to using credit cards to buy food, and a fifth have borrowed money in order to pay for rising prices, it’s reported .
A poll by Ipsos, carried out for Sky News, shows that 18 per cent of respondees have borrowed money in the last year to pay for rising costs of living.
“Borrowing from reputable sources is one thing, but people, who are already struggling to pay their bills, resorting to borrowing from back-street lenders and loan sharks, is something to be really concerned about,” says Steve Gardiner of Heart of the South West...
Pensioners and their loved ones are being urged to take up Pension Credit as new figures show an estimated £1.7bn in benefit is being left unclaimed.
Currently, over 1.4 million pensioners in Britain receive Pension Credit. However, many are still not claiming this extra financial help that can be worth over £3,300 a year.
It comes as the Department for Work and Pensions today [JUNE 15] held its second annual Pension Credit Day of Action as part of a new advertising campaign.
The Department for Work and Pensions will also be providing leaflets for local...
Exeter Cathedral, one of Europe’s greatest medieval cathedrals, is celebrating today after being awarded a £4.3million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their 2020s Development Appeal.
The project will reimagine the space at Exeter Cathedral, particularly focusing on the East End of the Cathedral, the Pearson Building and a new Cloister. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the new interpretation of the building will enhance the visitor experience and offer greater accessibility for visitors.
Last year Healthy Homes for Wellbeing, run by Exeter Community Energy (ECOE) launched a Winter Warmth campaign highlighting the issues of fuel poverty and hard to heat homes faced by local residents each and every winter.
The campaign generated almost £5,000 for the Healthy Homes Hardship Fund, thanks to the generosity of local residents.
This money has been used over the past six months to support low income and vulnerable households with purchases such as electric heaters, fridges, washing machines, cookers, fuel vouchers and basic repairs.
Specialist insurer Ecclesiastical is giving away another £1million to charities with the return of its Movement for Good awards.
In 2019 more than 2,300 kind-hearted Devon residents voted for over 140 charities across the region.
Last year saw an amazing 98,000 people around the UK support the Movement for Good awards in total, with over 7,000 charitable causes up and down the country receiving votes. The 500 winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.
This year 500 more charities will each receive £1,000 during the first phase of the campaign,...
A Wellbeing Support Fund has been launched in Exeter to support people who find themselves in financial difficulty due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
The scheme has been launched by Exeter City Council, with funding being provided by Devon County Council’s COVID19 Hardship Support Grant, to help individuals who are unable to access support from any other local or national initiatives.
Exeter City Council Leader, Phil Bialyk, said: “These are incredibly difficult times in so many different ways. We know that there are many people who may be struggling financially at the...
More than three-quarters of employees across the UK were members of a workplace pension scheme last year – a new record high, official figures reveal.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 77% of employees were in a workplace pension scheme in 2019, marking the highest membership rate since comparable records started in 1997.
Automatic enrolment into workplace pensions, which started in 2012, has had a huge impact in getting people into the habit of saving for later life. And younger generations appear to have caught the savings bug, with 2019 seeing 80% of...
People with disabilities are being wrongly denied the financial support they are entitled to, causing hardship, stress and anxiety. That’s the conclusion of a new report from Citizens Advice Exeter.
The leading local advice charity is calling for the Government to tackle the flawed system which determines whether people are eligible as a result of a disability for benefits.
Its research reveals many people in Exeter and across the country are having their applications for personal independence payment (PIP) or employment and support allowance (ESA) rejected, only for the...
