Help with money
We know that times are tough at the moment, especially with the rising cost of things like food and bills. We’re here to provide you with all the support and guidance you need when it comes to your money.
Money help
If you’re concerned about finances or are just looking for some advice, our Financial Inclusion team can support you. The team offer support with everything from benefits applications such as housing benefit for rent costs or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims, to offering budgeting and support in managing your finances better.
Get support from our Financial Inclusion Team
Our Financial Inclusion team is here to help you with your money worries. The team provide confidential advice and support via appointments. Appointments can take place face-to-face at our Neighbourhood Hubs, or over the phone - appointments are available Mondays-Fridays between 9am-6pm and Saturdays from 9am-12pm.
How do I access support?
To find out more about the support available give us a call on 0330 355 1000 or complete our Contact Us form. A member of our Financial Inclusion team will then be in touch within 48 hours of receiving your contact.
Our Financial Inclusion team have appointments available Mondays-Fridays between 9am-6pm and Saturdays from 9am-12pm.
Support paying your rent
If you’ve got questions or need help paying your rent, our Income team is here to help.
Our Income team can:
- Help you make a rent payment
- Help you set up a Direct Debit
- Answer your rent payment questions Can chat to you about your options if you’re struggling to pay you rent
- Refer you to our Financial Inclusion team if you’re in need of money advice.
To get support from our Income team just give us a call on 0330 355 1000 and they can help you over the phone, Mondays-Fridays between 8am-5pm.
If you contact our Customer Resolution Centre, our Income team will respond within five working days of them receiving your referral.
Benefits advice
Not sure what benefits you’re entitled to? Take a look at the Government’s benefits calculators to work out what you could be eligible to claim.
If you need support applying for benefits, our Financial Inclusion team is here to help you understand benefits better and find out what you're entitled to. Our expert team has helped thousands of our customers just like you to manage their benefits and claim benefits they were owed.
Universal Credit - managed migration support
We know that some of you may have heard about managed migrations to Universal Credit and want help understanding what it means.
What is managed migration?
Managed migration is what the DWP calls the transfer of live claims for existing legacy benefits to Universal Credit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has resumed the managed migration of customers from existing legacy benefits claims on to Universal Credit, with a target date to complete this by the end of 2024.
We’ve created a handy guide to help you understand managed migrations and answer some of your FAQs about the process of migrating to Universal Credit.
If you’re selected, you’ll receive a migration notice letter. The letter will explain how to apply for Universal Credit and provide you with a deadline to get it done. It will also include useful links to help you make your claim and a dedicated helpline for further support.
Once you’ve applied for Universal Credit before your deadline date, you’ll need to verify your identity, accept your claimant commitment, and complete any necessary checks, just like with any other UC claim.
Transitional protection ensures that you won’t be worse off after moving from your old benefits on to Universal Credit. To qualify for transitional protection, you must apply by the date on your migration notice letter. If your Universal Credit amount is lower than the benefits you were receiving before, transitional protection will make up the difference, so you don’t lose out.
If you don’t apply by the deadline on your letter, your old benefits will stop, and you’ll lose the right to transitional protection. So, it’s really important to apply on time!
Thrive fund
We created the Thrive Fund in 2023 to give a bit of extra support to our customers who may be finding it tough to afford essential household items. If you're struggling, we may be able to help you get things like white goods (such as fridges or washing machines), cookers, small kitchen appliances, or even window coverings.
The Thrive Fund is open to One Manchester customers who rent their home from us.
At the moment, we can only accept one application per household, unless you're applying for help with school uniforms or beds for children.
Please make sure to include your full name and your full address, including postcode. We won’t be able to process your application without all of this information, so double-check before submitting.
Start your Thrive Fund application
Just fill out our application form and we’ll be in touch.
What happens next?
Once you’ve submitted your application:
- We’ll send a referral to your Neighbourhood Officer, who will be in touch to arrange a tenancy experience visit. This visit is really important, it’s a chance to talk through your application and anything else we can support you with.
- If this visit doesn’t happen, we won’t be able to take your application further.
- A member of our Thrive Fund team will then review your application. If you're successful, you’ll get an email to confirm and let you know that your referral has been passed on to your Neighbourhood Officer.
A few things to keep in mind
Just so you know:
- We can’t use the fund to pay bills or rent, and we don’t provide cash.
- Unfortunately, we can no longer support requests for furniture or flooring. This includes sofas, chairs, tables, wardrobes, and drawers.
If you have any questions or need help with the form, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by filling out our Contact Us form.
What you can expect when you contact us
Financial inclusion referrals
If you call our CRC, our Income team will respond within five working days of them receiving your referral.
Our Financial Inclusion team will respond to referrals within 48 hours.
Income referrals
You can email our Income team directly. You’ll get a response within 24 hours.
