Financial advice and support

The Department for Work and Pension’s Access to Work scheme is designed to help people who are disabled or have a physical or mental health condition stay in employment. Last year, it provided personalised support to a record 36,000 people with disabilities and health conditions to do their job. Thanks to an extension to the scheme disabled people can now benefit from financial support to work from home, get to the workplace and assistance with the cost of specialist equipment.

You can find out more about the scheme and how to apply at Gov.uk website. We also have useful information on reasonable adjustments our HR section, for further information visit our HR/Equalities & Diversity pages.

The Government’s website provides advice and guidance on a whole range of financial issues relating to pensions, employment and benefits. Visit https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

The Money Advice Service has information and resources for what support is available and what can be done to try and counter the financial shock at this time:

• Coronavirus and your money
• Coronavirus: What it means for you
• Money Navigator Tool

They also have a number of useful videos on their Youtube Channel such as:

• Beginner's guide to managing your money
• Why it pays to save regularly
• People you owe money to - how to get help that is free and confidential
• Save money on your gas and bills
• Inflation

Citizens’ Advice can provide help and signposting and have local offices which can currently be accessed by phone or via their website www.carmarthenshire-ca.org.uk.

• Ammanford office: 01269 592267 
• Carmarthen office: 01267 234488
• Llanelli office: 01554 759626

We recognise how much money worries and stress can affect the overall wellbeing of our people, that’s why we are working with Salary Finance.

Through Salary Finance, employees can have access to:

• Affordable loans repaid through salary - Loans at affordable rates with higher acceptance than banks. A lower-rate loan could help you save money by paying off more expensive debt. As an affordable alternative to credit cards and overdrafts, it could also be used to cover an unexpected expense or help you to achieve your long-term financial goals. Representative Rate 9.9% APR (fixed).
• Free Financial education: a range of tips and videos as well as tools for budgeting and saving to help make money simple. Watch this short video which shows their latest webinar on becoming debt free.

Find out more about Salary Finance

If you are concerned at how the Coronavirus outbreak will affect your pension, the following information and advice on how they can support you.

Dyfed Pension Fund

If you are a member of the Dyfed Pension Fund and have any concerns regarding your Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) benefits, please e-mail Pensions@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit www.dyfedpensionfund.org.uk.

Alternatively, if you have any questions regarding the Teachers’ Pension scheme, visit www.teacherspensions.co.uk.

Additional Voluntary Contributions

Anyone contributing to the Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) facility, may wish to reduce their monthly payments during this difficult time. For further advice, please contact CRPayroll@carmarthenshire.gov.uk.

Pension Wise

Pension Wise offers free, impartial guidance through face-to-face and telephone appointments to people aged 50 or over with a personal or workplace defined contribution pension who want to make sense of their options as they approach retirement. 

Pensions Advisory Service

The Pensions Advisory Service offers free and impartial pensions guidance on workplace and personal pensions for everyone through its website, telephone and webchat services.  

If you are currently a member of the Childcare Voucher Scheme, you are able to reduce or stop your payments for up to 12 months. If you choose to stop payment altogether you must remember to reinstate your payments before the end of the 12 months otherwise you will cease to be a member of the scheme.

Due to changes to the legislation around Childcare Vouchers, if you leave the scheme you will not be able to rejoin it. It is therefore suggested that if you wish to reduce your payments, you reduce them to £1 a month for up to a 12 month period.

You can do this yourself by accessing your Childcare Voucher account on the Edenred website. If you have any difficulties doing this, or need further advice, please contact Edenred directly.

Saving is important.  By setting aside money on a regular basis, you can start to save and help cover any expected and unexpected financial costs that life throws at us. We call this a savings buffer. A savings buffer also means you will rely less on loans and borrowing. Saving on a regular basis becomes a habit and also leads to better mental and physical wellbeing.

Useful saving tips:

• Jam Jar method
• Switching utility providers
• The piggybank technique
• Budget Planner