A guide to making your budget work for you

A basic budget is not always enough when you want to manage your money through life changes. And every penny counts, especially when you are managing a budget to deal with debt or on a debt solution. Our guides will help you find ways to spend less, boost your budget and increase your income.

Use our benefits calculator to find missing income

People in the UK miss out on billions of pounds in benefits and other support each year. Use our benefits calculator to find out what you are entitled to.

How it works

Our calculator helps you find what you could claim for. It asks a few simple, anonymous questions about things like:

• The area you live in (your postcode is only used to check local benefits)
• Who lives with you, such as a partner or children
• Your age
• If you have any disability or long-term illness ( we do not ask for medical details)
• Your income
• Your housing costs, such as rent or council tax

It does not ask for your name, address or any information that could identify you.

Before you get started

It can help to gather the information you need to hand.

This includes things like:

• Pay slips
• Bank statements
• Bills

You can always save, stop and pick up again later if you need to.

Managing a budget that keeps on working

A budget can be a great guide to managing your finances, but it only works if it shows what you really need and can keep being updated.

The budget you made with us at the start of your advice can be updated as often as you need it to.

If you keep managing it all the way through your debt solution and beyond, it could help you:

• Become debt-free faster
• Find life’s surprises a bit less stressful
• Start building an emergency savings fund

Paying off debt does not mean life has to stop. Our guides will help you manage a budget that lives and breathes your life.