Newyddion: Your October Newsletter

Welcome to Newyddion. Here's a sneak peek into what you'll find inside this newsletter:

1. Don’t delay, get help today!
2. Are you over the state pension age?
3. Enjoy Halloween on a budget
4. Keeping safe around fireworks
5. Beware of Loan Sharks
6. NuLife Furniture

Don’t delay, get help today!

Meet Ruth from our Financial Inclusion Team!Recently, one of our Housing Officers referred a tenant to our Financial Inclusion Team due to issues they were having with their benefits. Ruth then visited the tenants to correct their Universal Credit as the claim was incorrect. Ruth managed to increase their weekly income towards housing costs, increase their Universal Credit personal allowance and apply for council tax reduction and discounts. As a thank you, the family gave her this beautiful bouquet of flowers!

The tenants received:

• An increase towards their housing costs: £283 a month
• An increase towards their Universal Credit personal allowance: £177 a month
• A Council Tax reduction and discounts: £143 a month

A total of £603 a month better off! All thanks to the support of our Housing Officers and our Financial Inclusion team!

If you are going through financial difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can speak to your Housing Officer or contact our Customer Services Team who can refer you for support.

-

Are you over the state pension age?

Did you know you may be entitled to Pension credit? This will entitle you to a Winter Fuel Payment.

For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment

Find out if you’re eligible and claim what’s yours:

gov.wales/heretohelp

Or call the free Advicelink Cymru helpline on 0808 250 5700

-

Enjoy Halloween on a budget

If you’re looking to save some money this season, here are some tips and tricks to enjoy Halloween this year on a budget!

1. Swap your costumes: To mix things up each year, why not swap costumes with your friends and family?
2. DIY: Why not make your own costume? You can make adjustments to clothes you already own.
3. Second-hand: Buying clothes second-hand is a great way to create a costume. Consider visiting your local second-hand clothing shop to search for some items!
4. Film Night: You could host a Halloween film night with friends and family.
5. Trick or Treat: If you have children, why not take them trick or treating?
6. Craft Decorations: You can create Halloween decorations by using basic supplies such as coloured paper and scissors.
7. Pumpkin Carving: Enjoy turning a pumpkin into a Jack-o-Lantern. Don’t let that pumpkin go to waste afterwards, you can make some delicious pumpkin soup!

-

Keeping safe around fireworks

With Halloween, Diwali, Bonfire Night, Chinese New Year and other events upcoming, please ensure you are keeping safe around fireworks.

Here are some safety tips to help you this season:

1. Lighting fireworks: Always light fireworks at an arm’s length and stand well back. If a firework hasn’t gone off, don’t go back to it, it could still explode.
2. Don’t drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
3. Keep your pets indoors: Make sure to keep your household pets inside to avoid causing them any distress.
4. Take care with sparklers: Never give sparklers to children under 5 years old. Put your sparklers in a bucket of water. Even when sparklers have gone out, they are still hot. So put them out after use.
5. Don’t let fireworks off late at night: Please respect your neighbours and remember there are laws to follow.

In an emergency, always call 999.

Fireworks: The Law

-

Beware of Loan Sharks

With the Christmas season approaching, please be cautious with scams and loan sharks.

Do not consider borrowing money privately.  You will likely end up paying out much more than you originally borrowed. A time may come when you are unable to make a repayment and you could find yourself, or your family, being threatened with violence. 

If you're worried about a money lender in your area, or being threatened by a money lender, you can report them to the Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit which operates a 24-hour confidential helpline on 0300 123 33 11.

Stop Loan Sharks Wales

-

NuLife Furniture

Are you looking for affordable furniture? Maybe you’re clearing out a room? Or maybe you want to become a volunteer? Visit NuLife Furniture!

With the help of volunteers, NuLife Furniture collect furniture and white goods for free. These goods still have a useful life and may otherwise end up in landfill. These are items are then given to people in need or sold at low cost. Any profit generated goes straight back into NuLife.

NuLife is based in Cardiff Bay and operates around Cardiff and Barry. Their showroom is open from 10am - 3pm Wednesday to Friday.

Address:
NuLife Furniture,
Walters Building,
Clarence Road,
Cardiff Bay
CF10 5FA

NuLife Furniture Website

Follow NuLife Furniture on Facebook