External benefit and debt advice contacts
This page contains a list of useful organisations and contacts who provide benefit and debt advice.
Action for the Blind
On 1 April 2017, Action for Blind People merged with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). This allowing them to help more blind and partially sighted people by combining services, knowledge and expertise within one charity.
Address - Howick House, Park Avenue, Penwortham, PR1 0LS
Telephone - 01772 320550
Adactus
Tenant support for Wigan, Lea and Lancaster. Other queries referred to external sources (Lancs Minds, D.I.S.C. and Social Services)
Telephone - 0845 505 3355
Affinity Solutions
Telephone - 0300 100 0303
Email - customerservice@affinitysutton.com
Age concern Central Lancashire
Age concern Central Lancashire do not have tenanted support workers. P.I.P. E.S.A (need to bear in mind the age group they support) Tax Credit (need to bear in mind the age group they support) Housing Benefit Council and Tax Support.
Open Monday to Friday 9am - 4.30pm, excluding Bank Holidays. Offering benefit advice only.
Telephone - 01772 552868
Email - help@55plus.org.uk
Age concern Central Lancashire - Help Direct
Assistance with food banks support and information regarding rent, bills, mortgages, school uniforms and any other basic requirements. Other help includes:
- Support accessing C8UNSS
- Community support projects such as time banks and arts groups
- General support managing finances, relationships, family, employment, learning, leisure, mobility and transport, home and gardens, community groups, volunteering, support needed and health and fitness.
- Assistance through the Help Direst GP advisor service located with GP surgeries across Greater Preston.
Direct people to the Preston Help Direct Office, including the Help direct Information points in Preston including Sahara Asian Women's Network Minerva Centre Preston, Prison Community Engagement Centre, Preston City Council, Town Hall and Gateway.
Open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.
Address - 30 Cannon Street, Preston, PR1 3NS
Telephone - Contact Iain Pearson on 01772 270720 or call 01772 270730
Preston C.A.B
Preston C.A.B offer basic benefits advice and debt advice.
Open Monday to Thursday 9.15am - 3.15pm. Friday's 9.15am - 12.15pm, appointments only.
Address - Town Hall Annexe, Birley Street, Preston, PR1 2QE
Telephone - for advice call 01772 822416 and for appointments call 01772 906434
CAP - Christians Against Poverty
Christians Against Poverty provide budgeting advice, money management advice courses and respond to referrals from other agencies.
Open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.
Address - Longton Community Church, 110 Clydesdale Place, Leyland, Preston, PR2 7QS
Telephone - Enquiries - 0800 3280 006 or Church office - 01772 457973
Email - Sharon Hay on sharon.hay@capuk.org or telephone 07941 844524
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Preston South and Chorley
CAP provides money courses to help with budgeting.
Open Tuesday to Thursday, contact the Centre Manager Jill Jackson.
Address - Calvary Christian Fellowship, Ward Street, Lostock Hall, Preston, PR5 5HR
Telephone - 07964 786521
Consumer Credit Counselling Service
Consumer Credit Counselling Services provide debt advice over the phone.
Call - 0800 138 1111
Community Finance (Lancashire)
Community Finance (Lancashire) provide debt counselling and financial advice.
Call - 01772 556877
CGA Community Gateway Association
CGA Community Gateway Association provide tenant support, sheltered housing and support to assist with bidding to downsize.
CGA has 2 approved caseworkers for RBL, a Rent officers, VF assist with Housing Benefits and DHP.
Address - Deltic House, West Strand, Preston, PR1 8UY
Call - 01772 268124 or 0800 953 0213 or Jackie Bird on 01772 268124
Open - 8.30am - 5pm. Appointments are available outside of office hours.
Turn to us work in partnership with CGA and provide benefits and debt advice for you.
Care Housing
Care Housing is an intensive housing management and includes tenancy rent arrears.
Tenants have individual support workers because of their special needs and have exempt status.
Care Housing is looking to provide this service in Preston in the future.
Address - Suit 206A, Business First Centre, Davyfield Road, Blackburn, BB1 2QY
Telephone - 0845 437 7367
Open - Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
Community Support and Information Centre
Address - Age Concern Central, 30 Cannon Street, Preston, PR1 3NS
Telephone - 01772 270725
DISC
DISC provide benefits and debt advice on Thursday and Friday 8.45am - 4.45pm.
Address - Recycling Lives Building, Essex Street, Preston, PR1 1QE or 103 - 104 Church Street, Preston, PR1 3BS
Telephone - 01772 723061 or 01772 558863
Email - compass@disc-vol.org.uk
Empower Housing
Empower Housing Association specialise in providing housing for adults with disabilities enabling them to live within their community independently.
They provide benefits and debt advice, housing advice and advice on utilities. They are open 24/7, office hours 9am - 5pm.
Telephone - 01257 260712
Great Places including Ashiana and Space New Living
Great Places Housing Group provides affordable social housing across the North West. The financial inclusion team,
Provide tenant support.
Telephone - 0300 123 1966
Headway (ABI)
Headway provide benefits and debt advice. If you situation is complex this will be referred to other agencies.
Address - Salvation Army, Harrington Street, Preston, PR1 7BN
Telephone - 07583 637197
Help Direct
Help Direct assist with making referrals for you.
Telephone - 0303 333 111
Home Housing including Stonham
Home housing association is one of the UK's largest providers of high quality housing and integrated housing, health and social care.
Telephone - 0345 141 4663 or call 0845 606 3033 - option 1
Housing 21
Housing 21 provide tenant support, including benefits and debt advice. Visit the Housing 21 website for more information.
Telephone - 0345 6070 272
Intact
Intact offer Work Clubs Tuesday and Thursday 1pm - 3pm and free daily computer classes.
Address - 49 Whitby Ave, Ingol, Preston, PR2 3YP
Telephone - 01772 760760
Making Space for adults with mental health needs
Making Space are a national charity and leading provider of adult health and social care services. Supporting housing and healthy living opportunities.
Address - 24 De Lacy Street, Preston, PR2 2DD
Telephone - 01772 202725
Email - enquiries@makingspace.co.uk
Places for People
Places for People provide a wide range of property and asset management services - from market rent and affordable housing, to student and leasehold management.
They provide homes and support to help customers live independently and play a positive role in their community. Including advice on benefits and debt advise.
Telephone - Kerri Johnson on 01772 666209 for benefit advice or Samantha Duffy on 01772 667134. For debt advise call 0800 1381 111 and mention
Places for People.
Open Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm and Saturday 9am - 3pm.
Preston Community Network
Address - Brentwood House, 15 Victoria Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 8PS
Telephone - 01772 717461
Email - Julie Humphrey on Julie@preston.org
Progress Housing inc New Fylde Housing and New Progress
Progress Housing Group are a not for profit housing provider who owns and manages over 10,000 homes.
They have been delivering housing related services to communities for over 25 years and are one of the UK's leading supported living providers for people with autism and learning disabilities.
Telephone - 01772 450600
RBL - Poppy Advice
The Royal British Legion help to ease the burden of financial pressure for thousands of serving and ex-serving personnel every year.
Providing specialist compensation advice, help with debt and emergency situations, and can support you through grant applications.
Telephone - 01257 244699
Recycling Lives UK Ltd
Recycling Lives Charity aims to reduce homelessness and reoffending by supporting men and women into stable housing and employment. They later added food redistribution to their model, in partnership with FareShare, to reduce food waste and tackle food poverty.
Address - 1A Essex Street, Preston, PR1 1QE
Telephone - 01257 654321
Regenda was Wyre Housing
The Regenda Group regenerates places and works with people to create the opportunities they need to thrive.
Affordable housing is the starting point, but working in places where they can make a difference and operate across the housing and construction sector, in care and support, and in training and employment.
Address - Regenda Limited, Regenda House, Enterprise Business Park, Northgate Close, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6PD
Telephone - 01204 814 125
Contact - Regional Financial Inclusion Manager for Greater Manchester and Wyre on 07966 970 727 or by email at Kelly.Farrell@regenda.org.uk
Open - Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9am - 1pm
Salvation Army
Providing practical help for people in need, defend those who are vulnerable and abused, and fight against injustice. The services provided are diverse, reflecting the needs of the communities they serve.
Offering drop in accommodation support, Food bank, Job Club and basic IT skills training.
Address - Harrington Street, Preston, PR1 7BN
Telephone - 01772 555425
Email - Info.sapreston@gmail.com
Open - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am - 3pm and Thursday 9am - 12.30pm
Shelter
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support, and legal services.
Address - Blackburn Housing, Advice Centre, 69 Preston New Road, Blackburn
Telephone - 0808 800 4444 or 0344 515 1844 or mobile on 07824 412892 - type talk for people with hearing difficulties is available.
Email - Info.sapreston@gmail.com
Open - Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. The telephone advice line is open Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am till 5pm.
Onward Homes
Onward Homes was previously Symphony Housing are leading provider of quality, affordable homes for rent and sale in the North West.
Onward offer help and support to vulnerable people facing a range of challenges, and create strong and vibrant communities that customers can be proud to be a part of.
Onward believes that everyone deserves a place to call their own, which is why their committed to building new homes throughout the North West for those in housing need.
Contact the Onward team on their contact us page here.
SSAFA - the Armed Forces Charity
SSAFA understand the unique demands of service life, whether it's on UK soil or overseas.
Support is available for people at any stage in their military career; from the youngest recruit to the oldest veteran - no one's service is ever forgotten. SSAFA have more than 5,000 trained volunteers who provide personalised, face-to-face support to those in their local area.
Whatever you're facing - from debt or addiction to mental health problems - the Forces and their families can rely on SSAFA and their personalised support to help them through it, for as long as it takes to get that person's life back to where they want it to be.
Address - Fulwood Barracks, Preston, PR2 8AA
Telephone - 01772 260462
Turn 2 Us
Turn 2 us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially.
Anyone can be a missed pay-cheque, illness or bereavement away from a real financial crisis, which is why Turn 2 Us can help you find the support you need to get back on track.
The Benefits Calculator takes less than 10 minutes to complete and it will tell you which means-tested benefits you may be entitled to, including tax credits.
The Grants Search can help you look for funds that might be able to give you a grant or other types of help.
Turn 2 Us also award their own grants from the Turn2us Elizabeth Finn Fund, the Turn2us Response Fund, and the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust.
Visit the Turn 2 Us website for how to get in touch and get the help you need.
Welfare Rights Service (Lancashire)
Lancashire County Council's Welfare Rights Service will provide help with:
- Appealing a benefit decision
- Increasing benefit take-up with pensioner population
- Information about benefits for carers
Lancashire County Council have developed free online training courses and guides on various benefit subjects.
The courses are free of charge and you can register with an email address.
Your Housing, Including Harvest, Manchester and District and Eaves Brook
Your Housing Group is a new generation of housing provider. With a pioneering, creative workforce, they are working efficiently and effectively to build as many quality houses as possible to play their part in solving the national housing crisis.
Address - Tustin Court, Unit 2, Portway, Preston
Telephone - 0345 345 0272
Welfare Benefit Advocacy
Preston Muslim Forum serves as first point of contact for any issue that matter to the community.
This includes practical support, form filling for all government and local authority benefits and entitlements, liaising with agencies on behalf of clients to resolve basic and complex queries, appeals and reviews of benefits, assistance with medical and work capacity assessment, advice on money matters.
Their holistic approach also includes support services for social housing, referrals and signposting for cases related to debt, domestic violence, homelessness, immigration and dealing sensitively and appropriately with clients with special needs.
Address - Preston Forum Rear of 158 Castleton Road, Preston, PR1 6QH
Telephone - 01772 889000
Email - prestonmuslimforum@live.co.uk