Category: Making Our Money Go Further

By Julie Fletcher, Neelam Rhuksar and Maria Jones, The Making Our Money Go Further Team

A retired lady recently rang More Making Our Money Go Further Project to enquire about whether she was entitled to any benefits, in particular Attendance Allowance. She had seen one of our posters that had been passed on by her friend who attends a community group in Rotherham. She expressed concern about the Winter Fuel Allowance being withdrawn by the government and said that she was anxious and worried about having the money to be able to heat her home and given the rise in living expenses, how she was going to manage through the winter period.

During the consultation, she shared that she had worked all her life as a nurse and had recently retired. Since retirement, she has been facing significant personal challenges which included being diagnosed with breast cancer and having had a mastectomy, being diagnosed with an overactive bladder and arthritis in both feet, knees and legs which has caused walking to become problematic. Despite her struggles, this lady was unaware that she might be eligible for additional financial support.

The lady was listened to over the telephone, and it was clear from the discussion that she was suffering with anxiety due to the challenges that she had been managing with her health. She was reassured that the Citizens Advice Bureau would carry out a benefits check and advise whether she was entitled to Attendance Allowance and that she was told that to contact us was the right thing to do.

The lady was referred in through the online Portal. Citizens Advice advised her that she may be entitled to Attendance Allowance and provided a number to ring to obtain a form. Once the form arrived the lady telephoned and enquired whether she would receive assistance from the Citizens Advice regarding filling the form out. The lady was once again referred into Citizens Advice for assistance with this and an appointment was arranged for attendance at the Citizens Advice Bureau to complete the form. Subsequently, lady was successful in being granted Attendance Allowance at the high rate.

She was overjoyed by this decision as this is a crucial financial aid for her to be able to pay for a service on her car as this is her lifeline to getting around now, and a much-needed financial boost as the colder months approach. She expressed her gratitude for the help and assistance provided by Rotherfed. Her experience highlights the importance of the More Making Our Money Go Further Project and the difference this can make in people’s lives by offering personalised support and assistance by making people feel less worried about their money situation, making them less stressed about money and feeling less isolated/along about their financial situation.

By The Making Our Money Go Further team

Rachel from the Tenant Involvement team was first contacted by Paul* in June 2023 to ask if she knew anyone who could help with his ongoing PIP issues.  She had worked with Paul for many years on a different project and Paul was aware of RotherFed and the services that we have to offer.  She explained to Paul about our Making Our Money Go Further who work in partnership with Citizens Advice and forwarded Paul’s details to the team with a brief description of his query, she also made the team aware that Paul suffers from hearing problems.  A member of our Making Our Money Go Further team picked up query and contacted Paul.

We explained to Paul that one of the services the project offers is a priority referral to Citizens Advice.  Citizens Advice offers an Advocacy service for people who wish to request a mandatory review of their PIP decision or help with a PIP appeal.  We asked Paul if he would like him to refer him to Citizens Advice and if so, could he provide details about his concern, along with his address and date of birth.

Paul explained that in June 2022 he applied for PIP, fast forward to June 2023 and he has only just received a response to the mandatory reconsideration, after they misplaced the original one send, which he also sent again in October 2022 and resent again in April 2023.

Paul explained that he feels that his case has been based on the spreadsheet mentality of the DWP, where incorrect assumptions and their basic manipulation of fact has conspired to come up with another rejection and feels that his only cause of action now is tribunal.  We referred Paul, as mentally Paul felt he was not able to do this himself. Paul also asked for it to be done via email due to his hearing problems.

Paul contacted Rachel 3 weeks later to say thank you again for putting him onto the Making Our Money Go Further team at RotherFed, he explained that he has followed the advice of the Citizens Advice and was now in the process of requesting a tribunal.

Recently Paul sent the following email to us.

“Many moons ago you directed me to the services of Citizens Advice, as per the help in my claim for PIP and after 14 days short of 2 years the system has succumbed and done the right thing.  The referral to the Citizens Advice generated from your team at RotherFed to adopt me onto their case portfolio has enabled me to move forward in my struggles both mentally and physically.  The supportive emails sent by you provided a timely tonic and ultimately the resource of the solicitor won the day.  I dread the other outcome having endured nigh on 2 years of doubt and thinking that various people were casting a doubt on my character, which sent me close to the edge.  However, the service of listening to what I said which ensued all that time to go enabled me and my family unit to whether the storm and now try to move on.

With the visit to the tribunal now over and the award into the post its about thank those that helped so we wish to donate a very small insignificant sum of £200 to do with as you decide I was thinking of vouchers to act as prizes for raffles etc.  More importantly is the offer to email persons to support the service you undertake just direct me and I will gladly type.

Thank you is a rubbish reward for what you have done but it’s all I have.

Paul and Family”.

It is so nice to hear that our Making Our Money Go Further Team and the service they offer, was able to help Paul and his family which will now enable them to move forward much more positively.  Paul’s offer of £200 to RotherFed was a very kind gesture, however, we will not be accepting this and suggested to him to support something in his community if he wishes.

*name has been changed.

By Julie Fletcher, Maria Jones and Neelam Rhuksar, The Making Our Money Go Further Team

‘I have never thought of using a slow cooker for such a variety of meals.”

‘I will look more closely into purchasing non-branded goods to see if I can save money’.

‘I would like to look into doing more shared meals with my friends to save a bit of money’.

We ran a Taste Test session at Eastwood Village Primary School at the coffee morning with parents. and delivered to a group of about 30 parents,initially it was not very interactive, but barriers were broken down by the introduction of the taste test. 

The aim of the session was to increase knowledge regarding money saving ideas and enable the parents to better manage their finances.

We had a couple of parents who attended and carried out the taste tests. During this session discussions took place as to how to save money on purchasing non-branded goods, together with amounts that could be saved on the goods with the taste test, which would allow them to save to money to allow this to go to other outgoings. It was clear that the main worries parents were having was in relation to energy costs. 

We also discussed different methods of how to cook foods and the savings you can make by switching from cooking in a conventional oven to an air fryer and we also considered the savings made when cooking in a slow cooker. Slow cooker recipe’s taken on the day were handed out and greatly received. 

A small group of about 3 women were very keen to consider starting a group which would cook meals and share meals together, with a view to saving money rather than going out for meals.  We discussed this with Hannah, who facilitates the coffee morning, who was keen for us to revisit the coffee morning, next term and do another session together with energy.

At the end of the session the teachers were inquisitive and were keen to do the taste test and this developed into a productive discussion about the costings of various groceries.