Financial wellbeing
Find out what to do if you’re struggling financially or want useful tips to make your money go further.
We’re here to help if you’re struggling financially or if you’d like to find ways to make your money go further.
If you think you’re going to struggle to pay your rent or mortgage repayments, please get in touch with us via My Sage Home. Alternatively, you may prefer to use the services of the debt support and money management services listed below:
Financial tools
Use this independent benefits calculator provided by the organisation Entitledto to find out what benefits and other financial help you may be entitled to. It takes around 10 minutes to complete and is a good starting point to understanding what support you might be missing out on and what to do next.
Use Money Helper’s budgeting tool to help you get on top of your income and outgoings so you know what you can and cannot afford. It will also help you work out a savings plan so you can prepare for any rainy days, pay for a holiday or even buy more shares in your home.
Debt support and benefits advice
If you’re struggling financially or need debt advice, you can access free support through the charity Citizens Advice. Either use the link to find your nearest Citizens Advice or call 0800 144 8848.
Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s normally paid monthly.
You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or you cannot work.
You can find out if you’re eligible and apply for Universal Credit on the Government’s website here.
If you would like support claiming benefits, including Universal Credit, you can access free support from organisations including Turn2Us or EntitledTo. A good place to start is their benefits calculators, which will offer information about what to do next.
Money saving tips & other support
The food bank charity Trussell Trust has put together a useful map so you can search for your nearest food banks. See the map here.
If rising energy costs have become a concern, you can access free advice about making your home more energy efficient or access support with energy bills from the following organisations.
The Money Saving Expert website offers a useful service to help you compare energy prices for your home. Visit the website here.
Agility Eco offers support to people looking for ways to make their homes more energy efficient.
CCW helps people support to reduce water bills and save water other water
LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership) provide free energy and money saving advice for those on low income and in receipt of state benefits
Apply Now - Energy Assistance | LEAP
Ask Bill - Good one stop shop for help on all things financial/household bills.
Use the links to the Government’s website here to find out about other benefits.
Ofcom, the regulator for communications services, offers useful information about reduced tariffs for broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Use this link to the Ofcom website to find out more.
Money & mental health
Poor mental health can make earning and managing money harder. The mental health charity Mind offers money advice to people in this situation. You can access the services here.
Buying more shares in your home
As a Sparrow shared owner, you can buy more shares in your home (known as "staircasing"). Find out how staircasing works and what you need to do.
Selling your home
If you decide its time to move on, we here to help you on that journey too. Find out about selling your share of your Sparrow home.
Financial wellbeing
Find out what to do if you struggling financially or want useful tips to make your money go further.
Make a complaint
How to make a complaint if you think we falling short of our commitment to high quality customer service.