Help For Fuel Bills Demanded By UK Charities

Fuel Bill Help Urgently Needed Due to Gas/Electricity Bills Rise

Help For Fuel Bills Demanded

Government help for fuel bills has been demanded by consumer groups and charities following yet further announcements from two more leading energy providers explaining the increase in fuel prices for their customers. This almost ends a record round of fuel price increases - with another round due in the New Year.

Long Term Fuel Poverty Plan Needed Say Charities

Scottish Power and Npower have joined British Gas, EON, Scottish and Southern Energy and EDF by rising their prices substantially, and now charities campaigning against fuel poverty (those who spend more than 10% of their income on fuel) are worried that without a long term plan, the problem of fuel poverty will reach unmanageable proportions as the provision of help for fuel bills is ignored.

According to charity National Energy Action, 1 in 5 households will fall into the 10% of fuel poor, and together with Child Poverty Action and Age Concern, the charities are demanding immediate action from the UK Government.

UK Government ‘Looking at Extra Support’

John Hutton, the Government’s Business Secretary said this week in an interview for the Daily Telegraph that:

“The era of cheap energy is over. The question is how are we going to adjust to that and what sort of help can we provide to those who are going to struggle the most. There is genuine concern about the difficulties that people will face paying their heating bills over the coming winter and we are looking at extra support.”

This seems to have done little to reassure the charities campaigning for those needing help for fuel bills. In The Guardian today, Paul Dornan from Child Poverty Action said:

“The poorest families now face an urgent situation … The voluntary approach is failing and Government and the energy companies need a plan of action within weeks.”

What Help for Fuel Bills is Available Right Now?

Finding help for fuel bills is clearly a very important issue, and so here are previous Payplan Debt News articles discussing this issue and offering further advice to those who require fuel debt assistance:

Solid Fuel - Cheaper than Gas/Electricity?

Top 5 Energy Saving tips from Payplan

£225 Million of Help for Fuel Bills

The BBC website also contains useful information to those needing help for fuel bills:

BBC Website - Where to go to for help with fuel bills?

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Recession In The UK Feared Following ONS Report

Rising Job Losses Strengthen Fears of a Recession in the UK

Recession in the UK feared following economic standstill

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has released a report highlighting the increased likelihood of a recession in the UK following figures that show the UK economy is now at a standstill. This fear is backed up by a report last week showing an increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the second quarter of 2008.

Job-Losses Rise as British Industry Predicts Slowdown

Unemployment figures from the end of June now stand at 1.67 million, with another 20,100 new claimants of job-seeking benefits recorded in July. This makes for uncomfortable reading for the whole country, especially after the UK economy has benefited from continuous economic growth over the last 5 and a quarter years. In fact, the ONS report shows the weakest economic data since 1992 - when the UK was still recovering from the affects of recession in the early 1990s.

Rising Consumer Prices and Repossession Figures

Added to the fear of another recession in the UK is the recent rise in repossession figures outlined in previous Payplan Debt News posts, a slow-down in manufacturing prospects and a slump in UK exports following a survey of over 600 British manufacturers by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). This will add to the prospect of further job-losses in the next few months. A succession of other financial implications directly affecting consumers, such as rising home energy costs, food shopping bills and petrol prices does little to give relief to the current economic climate, at home or amongst British industry.

Consequences of a Recession in the UK

Recession fears in the UK means hard-times for industry and consumers

The consequence of all this bad news suggests that, if it wasn’t already being felt, the next few months will be extremely hard financially for many families across the UK. Not only will many UK householders be struggling with their priority bills (rent/mortgage, council tax, utility bills, food shopping and housekeeping costs), for those with debts to pay, such as credit card bills and personal loans, the amount of available income to pay back unsecured borrowings will decrease - increasing vulnerability to creditor action on defaulted debts seems highly likely.

Payplan Debt Management

Payplan offer free debt management plans for those struggling to meet their monthly payments to creditors. For free debt advice, call 0800 280 2816 or contact Payplan using their debt calculator online.

UK Recession in the Media

BBC - UK economy comes to a standstill
BBC - Jobless total up as economy slows

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Holiday at Home or ‘Staycation’ – Patronising or Financial Necessity?

Is a holiday at home an option or a financial necessity?

The most recent round of figures highlighting the seemingly downwards spiral of problems with the UK’s economy (including a rise in inflation up to 4.4% and a rise in house repossession orders up 28%) confirms what many of us already know – that the cost of living is becoming increasingly expensive.

Holiday at Home

What’s the chance then that many of us won’t be able to afford a holiday away this year or next and are expecting to take a holiday at home? – It’s probably quite high.

Holiday at home is a financial necessity

Presumably, this was the inspiration behind a recent BBC Radio 4 debate on Woman’s Hour which focussed on the ‘Staycation’; another name for a holiday at home. It may sound patronising, or like hell-on-earth (as one contributor to the debate clearly felt following an article in the Daily Mail) – but it’s true that for many, staying at home during the holiday season is not an option, it’s a financial necessity.

Therefore, it might be sensible to suggest that the idea of a Staycation or a holiday at home is viewed more as an exercise in altering expectations, rather than a patronising attempt to pacify those who simply can’t afford a holiday away from home.

Making the most of a Holiday at home

In a way, a Staycation or a holiday at home means ‘making do’ with what’s available locally – but ‘making do’ doesn’t necessarily mean mediocre. Certainly, the sense of ‘breaking-away’ from the usual routine is one of the biggest attractions of a holiday abroad, or to a different part of the UK, but it doesn’t mean that one can’t relax, explore or indeed find new things to do, either as a single person or as a family in one’s local area.

Visit your local tourist attractions

Local Events and Attractions are Often Free

Many of us are unaware of the full range of things available to us locally, and very often for free; sports facilities, places of interest or community events that are held locally often escape our attention because we have more than enough to contend with in the home and at work than to explore our local areas - and let’s face it, we spend more and more time using modern technology for our entertainment and relaxation than we’ve ever done before; the use of DVDs, home entertainment systems, computer games consoles and, if you’re reading this, the Internet confirm this.

However, if you are reading this, then you’ll have access to a powerful tool that will give you access to much of the information you need to enhance anytime spent at home during the holiday season. Here is a selection of tourist information websites that will prove invaluable in your quest for a successful holiday at home:

Enjoy England
Visit Scotland
Visit Wales
Visit Britain
Visit London

Holiday in someone else’s home

If these don’t provide you with inspiration and are a home-owner, you could always try a home exchange. There are several websites that provide information on this increasingly popular method of holiday, where you simply swap homes with somebody else who’s willing to do the same. However, some carry a small fee, and they are not suitable for everybody. If you think this is up-your-street, then try services such as the Guardian Home Exchange

Contact Payplan
Get financial assistance from Payplan, the free debt advice organisation on 0800 280 2816 or online.

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Repossession - “Get Advice As Early As Possible”

Home repossessions up 48%

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) issued figures today stating a 48% rise in home repossessions in the first 6 months of 2008.

Payplan’s Managing Director, John Fairhurst, speaking today on BBC Radio 5 Live about the repossession announcement, said:

“I think the most important thing that people can do is to get advice as early as possible. In about 80% of mortgage repossession cases it’s possible to avoid repossession simply by getting the right advice at the right time.”

He added:

“It’s rarely too late to get advice.”

Payplan repossession advice - contact details

You can get repossession advice from Payplan’s Special Repossession Advice Team on 0800 917 7819 or by submitting your details using the online Debt Calculator.

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