• Our offices will be closed for the Easter weekend from 5pm on Thursday 28th March until we reopen at 8am on Tuesday 2nd April. You will still be able to get in touch through 'My Account' or our emergency out of hours service. We hope you have a lovely Easter!

A brief guide for customers on what help and support is available for money and benefit issues.


Who we help?

Every year we help hundreds of our customers to manage their homes, claim benefits, get back into work, and pay their bills.

We are keen to help our customers with money issues. We recognise that problems managing money can have a negative effect on people’s health and wellbeing and affect their ability to sustain their tenancy.

Do you need help managing your money?

Can you or anyone in your household answer YES to any of these questions?

  • Is this your first tenancy?
  • Is this the first time you have lived on your own?
  • Are you new to the area and unsure of what local services and support is available to you?
  • Do you know whether you can get help from the government to pay your rent?
  • Have you had a benefit check in the last year?
  • Do you have a loan or a grant to move in or for essential items for your house?
  • Do you have a loan that you are struggling to pay?
  • Do you have a loan or struggled to get credit or open a bank account because of your credit rating?
  • Are you disabled and/or sick from work and not sure what benefits you can claim?
  • Have you been turned down for a benefit and want help in challenging the decision?

If you have answered YES then we may be of use to you.

How we can help you?

  • Our Money Advice Team offer customers a free, confidential and impartial advice service to help people with multiple debt and benefit problems
  • We provide training workshops for tenants on how to manage their money called Moving On Moving In
  • We help our customers to get work-ready through our Employment and Skills team
  • We have links to Staffordshire Credit Union where people with poor credit ratings can save money and get affordable loans
  • We can advise you on how to get a basic bank account and save money by paying your bills by direct debit
  • We are able to offer you a cheap contents insurance product individual to your needs (in partnership with Jardine Lloyd Thompson)
  • You may need a benefit check – We can advise you with this
  • We can help you to get the cheapest electric and gas supply and look at other energy-saving options
  • We can provide free regular support to our most vulnerable customers with things like managing bills, keeping appointments and remaining independent in the community through our Independent Living Team

If you are interested in finding out more about any of these above services and products, please contact us on 01782 635200 or email us at enquiries@aspirehousing.co.uk.

How can you contact us?

Our support services are available during office hours. If you phone us but we are out of office, leave us a message and we'll contact you back.

If you are looking for confidential help, advice and support, we may in some cases offer home visits and we also provide advice sessions across the borough.

Phone us on 01782 635200 and we will explain accessibility and availability in more detail.

Debt advice

Our team of fully trained Money advisors can help you to get debts under control. They can help you to plan a budget, contact creditors on your behalf and help you with long term strategies and solutions such as bankruptcy, payment plans and debt relief orders. The service is free and confidential. All they ask is you tell them about all of your debt, follow the strategy that you have agreed and keep them informed of any changes in your circumstances.

If you would like to find out more about our Money Advice Team contact us on 01782 635200 or send us an email at moneyadviceteam@aspirehousing.co.uk

Benefits advice

Our rents team can help you with claiming housing benefits, calculating your entitlement and helping you with any disputes or problems you may have with your claim.

Our Money Advice Team can help advise you where you have been turned down for a benefit and you don’t agree with the decision. They can help you to lodge an appeal, advise you on the merits of taking an appeal further and offer appeal preparation and representation in some circumstances.

If you want advice about housing benefit, contact our Income Management Team on 01782 635200.

If you want advice about benefits please contact the Money Advice Team on 01782 635200 or email us at moneyadviceteam@aspirehousing.co.uk

Useful links

Service Telephone
Age UK

0800 0556112

Benefit Enquiry Line

0800 0224250

Citizens Advice Bureau

03444 111444

Community Legal Service

0845 3454345

Disability Solutions

01782 638300

National Debtline

0808 808 4000

Newcastle Council

01782 717717

Pension Service

0800 7317898

Social Services Newcastle Borough

0300 1118010