Projects
Writtle Project
Essex Community Foundation has commissioned a service using an endowment fund to establish and maintain a support service for individuals seeking help with welfare benefits and housing issues. The service is predominantly focused on supporting people with disabilities and older people.
Foodbank Project (Financial Inclusion)
The Trussell Trust have engaged Citizens Advice Chelmsford to support Foodbank clients with support in all areas including benefits support, debt, housing and any other areas in which Citizens Advice Chelmsford can offer support. We provide a welfare benefits specialist and cost of living advisers to support clients of the foodbank.
The service also provides Generalist support to clients around areas such as housing, employment and relationship issues.
Referrals are made via clients attending Food banks
Pension Wise
Pension Wise is a free and impartial guidance service to help people understand what their choices are and how they work. Pension Wise is part of MoneyHelper, the consumer brand from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) which brings together financial guidance services in one place.
To be eligible for the service you have to be over the age of 50 with a defined contribution pension.
There are some exceptions regarding age such as inheriting a DC pension pot or ill health.
www.moneyhelper.org.uk
Chelmsford office number: 01245 205567
National booking line: 0800 138 3944
UKPN Energy Project
For all clients needing Energy Advice. Our Energy Advisers will then triage to our other energy teams if necessary. Our advisers can perform benefit checks, access grants, provide fuel and fuel vouchers, give energy efficiency and low carbon advice.
UKPN telephone number: 0808 1896550
Email: ukpn@chelmsfordcab.org
Frontline: chelmsford.essexfrontline.org.uk/Library/ServiceDetail/66c6f8dd552535d62ebe2a28
Warm Start
Warm Start Essex is a service provided by the Citizens Advice service in Essex and funded by the Energy Redress Scheme. It has been set up specifically to support people with dependent children, as it is known that being brought up in a cold home often means children experience poorer outcomes at school and resultingly, fewer opportunities in later life.
It provides holistic energy advice to support people who are struggling with their energy bills. Specialist energy advisers, provide detailed, in depth guidance on all of the other schemes described in this website, plus support their clients to maximise their income, deal with energy and other debt problems, apply for grants, deal with problems with energy suppliers and help people switch suppliers.
In addition, through actual and “virtual home visits”, advisers can give practical advice around the house, to ensure that clients can cut their bills.
Referral through enquiries@chelmsfordcab.org
Frontline:
https://chelmsford.essexfrontline.org.uk/Library/ServiceDetail/66ce1503552535d62e8d4432
British Gas Energy Trust
Will provide Budget planning
Benefit / income maximisation checks
Energy supplier / tariff switching exercises
Resolution of energy debt problems
Negotiating with energy suppliers
Completing grant applications to British Gas Energy Trust and other helpful schemes, e.g. Warm Home Discount and ECO schemes and energy companies’ Priority Services Registers
Desktop Home Energy Efficiency Surveys and specific energy efficiency advice
Generalist advice on subjects including housing, employment and discrimination, helping to overcome other barriers to financial well-being.
Financial Benefit Debt - Probation
We have two advisers, one placed in Chelmsford Probation office and one in Colchester Probation office. Our advisers will offer financial capability support coaching with individual advocacy.
Referral is through the probation service.
Finance Benefit Debt plus – HMP Chelmsford
We have two remand support advisers who provide Financial, Benefit and Debt advice plus other areas those on remand need help with.
Referral is through the pre-release team, but there may be scope to extend this.