In celebration of Talk Money Week, two of our money coaches took over our Facebook stories to answer your questions.
The team shone a light on the work they do and gave customers and colleagues an insight into what support they can get from them.
Laurence Carr and Nicolas Moss-Allison were our duo of interviewees. Here’s a snapshot of some of the questions and answers:
What can money coaches help customers with?
"We can support people with benefit queries such as checking entitlement, helping to claim and resolving problems with entitlement and appeals.
"We help to make sure income is maximised, give useful advice around making a budget balance and money saving tips.
"We offer debt coaching and can signpost customers to specialist debt advice agencies.
"We also try to give our customers the tools to manage their finances independently in the future."
Can money coaches help with debt, or do they have to point people to official debt experts?
"We offer debt coaching such as explaining what types of debt are classed as priority and non-priority.
"We can help create a budget plan to try and make the budget balance.
"If tailored debt advice is needed, we signpost customers to trusted debt advice organisations like StepChange and Citizens Advice."
Who is eligible for help with the money coaches?
"All Yorkshire Housing customers and the people who live with them, as well as Yorkshire Housing colleagues."
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
"Resolving benefit and money issues and giving our customers the tools to better manage their benefit and money matters independently in the future."
Have you seen a record amount of people coming to you for help due to the cost-of-living crisis?
"We’ve seen an increase in referrals over the past 12 months and we’re also seeing more people who’re in work reaching out to us for financial support.
"As of October 2022, we currently have more than 392 people receiving coaching or on a waiting list. So far this year, 700 people have received our support."
Do you think there’s a stigma attached to asking for help, resulting in people suffering in silence?
"We think this is the case, but it shouldn’t be. We encourage any Yorkshire Housing customer or colleague who’s struggling financially to seek help from a money coach as soon as possible. Our coaches are non-judgemental, and our service is confidential."
This week we've also spoken to customers who've benefited from the money coaches.
Trevor, who lives in Dewsbury, said the service has given him and his wife much more freedom:
“Our move into Tentercroft Court retirement housing has been life-changing for me and my wife. We were so miserable living in our previous home and were desperate to leave the area.
“Enough was enough when I got home from being in hospital with covid and pneumonia to my wife in tears. So, I got on the phone to Yorkshire Housing, and they helped us find our new home.
“And then… just when we didn’t think it could get any better, we found out about the money coaching team!
“We were in our communal area chatting to other residents and one of them mentioned about how a money coach called Soyab helped them to claim benefits that they didn’t even realise they were entitled to.
“Me and my wife have worked 98 years between us and never claimed a penny until now, at the ages of 72 and 73. After a chat with Soyab, who sorted out all of our paperwork and applications, we now receive pension credit.
“This has been such a huge help for us. We were almost on the verge of getting rid of our car due to the running costs, but this extra money has meant that we’ve kept our motor and freedom. We would've been up a creek without a paddle!
“I can’t thank Soyab enough. He’s not only helped us enormously, but we have such a good laugh and he always puts smiles on people’s faces when he comes to Tentercroft court.”
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