Organisations that help with money matters and advice
We want to make sure that if you have debt or work worries, you and your family can access the right support and advice at the right time.
There’s a lot of help available, from rescheduling rent and mortgage payments to accessing training to improve your chances of getting a job. We have put together contact details for a range of help and advice on issues that might be affecting you.
On this page:
Advice and support
We want to make sure that you and your family can access the right support and advice at the right time.
There’s a lot of help available. Through our voluntary and community grants programme we fund the following organisations to help you to solve your problems and regain independence by promptly giving the right advice and support.
In response to coronavirus most advice organisations have moved to telephone or online support. Please check the websites below for up to date information on services.
For more information on other support services the find support services map shows organisations that are open but providing an alternative to their usual activities in response to coronavirus.
Citizens Advice partnership
Hackney CAB leads a partnership of 6 organisations that provide an advice service for people who live in Hackney.
The partners are:
- Hackney Citizens Advice: provides free advice on a range of issues including benefits, consumer problems, employment issues, housing problems, legal issues, debt advice, relationship, family and personal problems as well as tax and utility related topics
- City and Hackney Carer’s Centre: provides advice and casework on welfare benefits, housing and debt to carers. We can also help you with benefits checks and form filling. Tel: 020 8533 0951
- Off Centre: general information and advice service for young people aged 11 to 25, with particular emphasis on welfare benefits, money management, housing and homelessness, immigration, employment, education, training and other legal support. Tel: 020 8986 4016
- Derman: provides advice and casework on welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, family and consumer to people within Kurdish and Turkish speaking communities. 020 7739 7026
- Hoxton Trust and Hackney Marsh Partnership provide advice in GP surgeries in the borough
Hackney Law Centre
Free legal advice and representation for those who live or work in Hackney, along with free advice surgeries in housing, debt, consumer law, and small claims. 020 8985 8364. Hackney Law Centre.
Hackney Advice Service
Hackney Advice Service is a partnership of 5 charities providing an advice service for people who live in Hackney
The partners are:
- deafPLUS: for adults who are hard of hearing
- visionPLUS: for adults who have visual impairment
- MIND: for people with a physical disability and/or adults with a mental health disability
- Royal Society for Blind Children: for children and young adults up to the age of 25 who are blind or have a severe visual impairment
- Refugee Women’s Association: for migrant women
- Shelter is a national housing and homeless charity that can provide advice and assistance on all housing issues, from finding a place to live to problems meeting the cost of housing
- Fair Money Advice offer free and impartial advice to help you sort out your money worries and put you back in control
The service includes advice, form filling and casework on issues such as Welfare Benefits, Travel Concessions, Disability Rights, including assistance with Social Security Appeals. 0207 001 1728. HAS@deafplus.org.
City and Hackney Carer’s Centre
City and Hackney Carer’s Centre: Provides advice and casework on welfare benefits, housing and debt to carers. We can also help you with benefits checks and form filling. Telephone: 020 8533 0951.
Hackney Chinese Community Services
Provides advice on welfare benefits, housing, debts, employment, immigration (OISC Level 1), family, consumer rights, human rights and will read or interpret letters. 020 8986 6171.
North London Muslim Community Centre
North London Muslim Community Centre: provides an advice and information surgery on welfare benefits, housing, health care needs, education, debt, immigration (OISC level 1). 020 8806 1147.
Day-Mer Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre
Day-Mer Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre: provides advice on Welfare Benefits, housing, employment, education and Immigration (OISC level 1). 020 7275 8440.
Praxis – Immigration Advice at Hackney Migrant centre
Immigration advice and case work to OISC level 3 – and casework including access to accommodation and services, homelessness and insecure housing, including destitution cases with no recourse to public funds and asylum support poverty relief, including food bank vouchers, grants, etc.
Drop in every Wednesday- registration begins at 8.30am. Hackney Migrant Centre.
Agudas Israel Community Services
Provides employment and benefit advice to the orthodox Jewish community in Hackney. 020 8800 6688.
Age UK East London
Age UK East London: provides advice on Welfare Benefits, social care information on staying warm at home, home adaptations and how to prevent falls. 020 7249 7149.
If your circumstances change and you are struggling to pay your rent or mortgage or your housing needs have changed there is a range of help available to you.
Housing Advice Service
The Council’s housing advice service – provides information and advice on a range of housing issues including help to pay your rent or mortgage or assistance with finding a home.
- 020 8356 2929
- housingadvice@hackney.gov.uk
Support for mortgage interest (SMI)
The SMI scheme helps households who may be experiencing difficulties with their mortgage repayments.
Shelter
Shelter is a national housing and homeless charity that can provide advice and assistance on all housing issues, from finding a place to live to problems meeting the cost of housing.
- Free: 0808 800 4444
Shelter Hackney Family Service
Shelter Hackney Family Service provides intensive support to families at risk of homelessness who have complex needs. They work in partnership with the family, developing a whole-family support package that addresses the risk to the families’ home as well as the causes and effects of the housing issue.
The service also runs a number of housing and welfare benefits advice surgeries around Hackney. These are for families who don’t meet the criteria for intensive support but who would benefit from specialist advice on a range of housing issues.
For full eligibility criteria, or to make a referral for advice or support:
- 0344 515 1447
- hackneyfamilysupport@shelter.org.uk
Gov.uk
Gov.uk provides information on national schemes to help with mortgage payments, benefits, work and much more.
Debt Advice Foundation
Debt Advice Foundation is a registered national debt education and advice charity. They provide free access to a range of tools and practical guides on how to manage money effectively, budget and negotiate directly with creditors.
- 0800 043 40 50
National Debtline
Run by the Money Advice Trust, National Debtline provides free confidential advice about managing debt.
- 0808 808 4000
Energy Saving Trust
Energy Saving Trust is a non-profit organisation that provides free impartial advice to help you save money and fight climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from your home.
- 0800 512 012
Shelter
Shelter provides free, expert advice about managing debt and can explain all your options.
Money Adviser Network
The Council is committed to supporting our customers who experience money
worries.
Whilst we are doing all we can to help our customers, we recognise there may be other debts that you need help and advice with.
We have partnered with The Money Adviser Network who offer free advice backed by the Money Advice Service.
The advisers behind the network offer independent and impartial money and debt advice over the phone or online.
Visit Money Adviser Network to provide your contact details in confidence so you can be connected with a qualified and regulated money adviser.
Money Advice Service
The Money Advice Service offers free and impartial advice to help people manage their money, including providing information on debt and borrowing, and a Universal Credit tool to help you budget and manage your money if you’re on, or going on, Universal Credit.
- 0300 500 5000
Money navigator tool
The Money Advice Service’s money navigator tool can help you if you have been affected by coronavirus:
- if your income is down and you’re worried about your future finances
- you’ve been furloughed and need help to get back on track, including after a payment holiday
- you’re facing redundancy or have lost your job
- you’re self-employed and work has dried up
- you want to make the most of money you’ve saved during lockdown
Know in 30 seconds:
- the money issues you need to tackle first
- how to stay on top of bills and payments
- what extra help and support you’re entitled to
- where you can get free advice for debt, housing or redundancy
If you are out of work or looking for a change of direction there’s a lot of advice and in some cases assistance with the costs of job hunting.
Hackney Job Centre Plus
Job Centre Plus provides advice and support for job seekers, including assistance with the costs of job hunting.
- 020 8218 8166
Learn Direct
Learn Direct can help to boost your skills or change career path by providing a range of training.
- free: 0800 101 901 from 7am to 11pm 7 days a week
Hackney Voluntary Action
Volunteer Centre Hackney continues to successfully place people across the borough of Hackney into a vast range of exciting and interesting volunteering roles. Ultimately this can lead people back into part or full time work, or can be a way to just spend time benefiting the community.
- 020 7241 4443
Hackney Community College
Hackney Community College offers full and part time courses for school leavers and adults.
- 020 7613 9000
Hackney Citizen’s Advice Bureau
Hackney Citizen’s Advice Bureau offers free advice on a range of issues including benefits, consumer problems, employment issues, housing problems, legal issues, debt advice, relationship, family and personal problems as well as tax and utility related topics.
- 0844 499 1195
Hackney Works
If you live in Hackney and are looking for a job or an apprenticeship, are just starting out or haven’t worked for years, Hackney Works, our free recruitment service can help you find the most suitable training and apply for the jobs that you want.
Childcare and schools
If your family’s employment circumstances have changed you may need to adjust your childcare. There are a range of services available.
Hackney Learning Trust
Hackney Learning Trust is responsible for Hackney schools, day nurseries, play services and adult education. They also provide advice and assistance on the costs associated with education such as free school meals and clothing grants.
National minimum wage – working for a fair pay borough
The national minimum wage is a legal requirement and all employers must pay this to staff over school leaving age. The rate per hour depends on your age and whether or not you are an apprentice.
London living wage
The Council is working towards making Hackney a fair pay borough where no one gets paid less than they can reasonably live on. We already pay all directly employed staff the London living wage, currently £10.20 per hour and are working towards paying all contracted staff at least the London living wage.
Help with stress, worry and wellbeing
See information on support, advice and resources about mental health and wellbeing.
- GOV.UK is a single website providing a range of advice and information on everything. From training to mortgages, from benefits to medical support to childcare and much much more
- Transport for London provides free or subsidised travel for many people like job seekers and school children – call 020 7222 1234 for more information
- East London Cost of Living Pack – 2023 to 2024 (PDF 468kb) – this digital booklet is designed to be a practical guide detailing the support announced and made available by the Government, councils, and local organisations