A week in the life of… a money guidance officer

In the afternoon, my focus shifts to fuel poverty calls, which we’ve recently started doing in response to the cost of living crisis. Today I speak to 20 people, most of whom are struggling with huge energy price increases.

For almost all of the people I speak to, bills have doubled, if not trebled – it’s really alarming to hear.

Those on pre-payment meters are finding it especially hard and many just do not have the money to keep topping up. When a resident is in this situation I am able to organise top-up vouchers to give them some breathing space while we work through their budget, entitlements and other bills to try to help them feel more in control of their situation.

Wednesday

Wednesday is all about money guidance appointments. I have three booked in and each lasts about 90 minutes.

Every case is different, but the most important thing is building trust so that I can find the best way to help people. I start off by opening up a conversation about their situation and what’s worrying them and then we work together to complete a budget, set out income and expenditure, and try to identify ways to make ends meet.  

I also try to find out more about their understanding of their financial situation and the coping strategies they are using. For example, exploring how well they understand their energy bills, whether they know what appliances are likely to be using the most energy, finding out how they manage their heating thermostat and draught-proofing. These practical conversations can result, perhaps, in a repair that needs to be reported or a change that they can make for themselves.

The other big topic is food shopping and I talk about how things are bought, stored and cooked to see if there are ways we can help to reduce expenditure. I keep the conversation friendly and practical, and I find that I pick up tips along the way, too.

My final call of the day is with a resident who is working a zero-hours contract and was under the impression she couldn’t claim Universal Credit if she works. We talked through her circumstances and found that she is entitled to an extra £700 per month – something that made her day and mine.

Thursday

Today I speak to someone struggling with rent arrears, debt and declining mental health – a very sad and complex set of circumstances.

In this case, money guidance was not the priority as our customer needed to get urgent help with her arrears so that her home was not at risk. I referred her to our debt advice partner, Pennysmart, and our internal sustainment and well-being services for longer-term support for residents in vulnerable situations.

In my role, I always look at the big picture and think about how best to make a lasting impact by working with colleagues and partners. Often, before we can start to help someone increase their financial resilience, we have to make sure their basic needs are met and that any urgent support, whether it be with debt, housing issues or well-being, is built into their action plan.

Friday

As the week draws to a close, today is spent getting ready for an event at the weekend being organised by Merton Council to help local residents through the cost of living crisis. Although we are mainly a phone-based service, events like this can be a great way to offer our help and make sure other organisations locally know what support we can provide.

Before I log off for the weekend, I reflect on what has been a really good week. I’ve been able to make a difference to people in difficult circumstances – this helps me feel satisfied, knowing that I’ve achieved something.