When people come to us for advice, we often find there are benefits they are entitled to but haven’t claimed. Normally, this is because the client isn’t aware the benefit exists, or because they’ve had a change of circumstance which they haven’t reported. Below are six benefits people often miss out on which could give your finances a handy boost during the cost of living crisis. Marriage Allowance You can claim…

HMRC recently announced over 500,000 families claimed tax-free childcare in the last year. That’s more than ever before. Yet, they estimate 1.3 million households may be eligible. With so many families missing out, could you be one of them? Who is eligible for tax-free childcare? You (and your partner, if you have one) must be in work and earning at least what you would if you worked 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage. You might still be eligible if you get Carers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, or ESA.

If you are an employee and haven’t received a P60 yet, you should get one soon. The deadline for your employer to send you a P60 is 31 May. P60s and P45s both contain details of your income and the tax you’ve paid. A P60 comes at the end of the tax year, while your employer should give you a P45 when you stop working for them. Let’s take a look at both forms in more detail. What is…

The full state pension is currently £179.60 per week. That’s £9,339.20 per year. Research by Which?* suggests the average person needs at least £13,000 a year to meet their essentials needs — and you’d need twice the state pension to live a comfortable lifestyle. Whether its maximising your National Insurance contributions or paying into a workplace pension, planning for retirement early gives you the best chance of putting yourself in a strong financial position when you finally finish work.

Below are some common problems we hear our clients raise about privately rented housing. We’ve identified the best place to get help when dealing with each issue. Be aware the information on this page applies to Assured Shorthold Tenants only. If you are in social housing or live with your landlord, call Citizens Advice instead. Except in the case of eviction, you should only follow these steps after you have tried to resolve the problem with your…

Self-employment should be empowering: you get to choose your own hours, be your own boss, and keep all of the profits from your work. There are downsides, of course. You get no employee benefits like sick pay and holiday pay, you’re responsible for your own tax and National Insurance, and your income can often be unpredictable. Then there’s bogus self-employment. This is where an employer tells you to register as self-employed when really you…

Christmas is coming and cold weather is around the corner, just as we begin to see a significant rise in energy prices. Many households across Burnley and Pendle will feel the strain on their budgets over the next few months as household bills increase and the frenzy of Christmas shopping begins. To help you start thinking about ways to cope financially this winter, here are our top tips for managing your money.

The deadline to register for self-assessment is 5th October. But who needs to register? You may need to submit a self-assessment tax return if in the last tax year you: · were a sole trader earning over £1000, or · were in a partnership, or · had income from sources other than your pension, benefits, or wages The last tax year ran from April…

You’ll soon be able to apply for the fifth Self-Employed Income Support Scheme grant. We can help with your application. — There are a few ways our HMRC team can help increase your income. We’ve listed six of them below. 1. Help You Apply to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme If you traded in both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 tax years, you may be able to claim the fifth SEISS grant…