More than 13,000 customers have benefited from specialist financial and debt advice in Sunderland worth millions of pounds, thanks to the support of our Money Matters service.
The free service, which is celebrating its 10th year of operating, has helped customers claim a staggering £8,594,649 in additional income, money they didn’t know they were entitled to. The team also supported customers to utilise water discount schemes, with more than £3m discounts being claimed.
In addition, the team also provided more than £123,000 in crisis funding to families across the city, to help with essentials such as gas and electric top-ups, urgent food shops and baby essentials.
Gentoo’s Money Matters Team, which was launched in 2013, offers specialist financial and debt advice to its 60,000 customers. The Group has specially trained, dedicated teams and has invested significantly in funds and grant schemes that are available to anyone who may need them.
Susie Thompson, Executive Director of Housing at Gentoo, said: “We’re very proud to provide this free, and sometimes life changing, service to our customers. It’s incredible to see how many people we have supported with financial gains over 10 years.
“The figures demonstrate just how much the team go above and beyond to help our customers who sometimes find themselves in financial crisis. They do a brilliant job and make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of residents across Sunderland.”
Among those to benefit from advice and support is a customer who contacted Gentoo’s Money Matters Team for support with a historic overpayment of job seekers allowance. Gentoo’s Support Coordinators managed to work with DWP to reduce the overpayment and supported the customer to repay the reduced sum in full. As a result, the customer was entitled to claim other benefits and is now receiving an additional £900 per month.
The service, which employs a number of specialist advisors, offers support to some of the most financially vulnerable, by providing benefit checks, energy saving advice and budgeting assistance, as well as signposting to partners for debt advice. It’s not just for those in financial difficulty, the team also support those who have recently had a change in circumstances and may need guidance on how to move forward.
If you are a Gentoo customer and would like to speak to a specialist Money Matters advisor about your finances, you can do so confidentially, by calling 0300 123 2004, or alternatively, customers can email moneymatters@gentoogroup.com
