Category

• Promising Local Practice

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Poverty impact

• Prevention
• Mitigation

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Poverty driver

• Reduce cost of living
• Provide benefit in-kind (material)
• Increase income from benefits

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Keywords

• Income maximisation
• Budgeting
• Welfare Rights
• Financial capability
• Schools

Aim

To reduce the impact of poverty in Fife Council.

To maximise income by advising service users of potential unclaimed benefits, which they might be able to claim.

To maximise income through educating service users of how to better manage their budgets.

Summary

The Boosting Budgets project is a 7-week financial capability group for parents and carers across various schools across Fife with a weekly class covering a different topic every week. It addresses issues from fuel poverty, saving and borrowing, to benefits and rights as well as cooking on a budget with separate sessions dedicated to budgeting, benefit support and cooking. The service can provide support with maximising income through informing service users of potential unclaimed benefits they may be entitled to, as well as practical help with cooking skills and budgeting for food and households. This project currently runs across 20 schools and is provided by the Fife Council (Education Service) and Citizens Advice and Rights Fife (CARF).

What difference does it make?

Increased income for service users.

Service users are now claiming benefits they are entitled to that they were not claiming previously.

Improvement in confidence and social skills of service users.

Improvement in service users’ cooking skills.

This project has inspired more support groups to take place in local schools, such as peer support groups for parents of children with additional support needs.

Key take-aways

• Increasing basic skills such as cooking and budgeting can help money to stretch further, helping to reduce the impact of poverty on families.
• Incentives used on projects should be equitable, in that it should be accessible to as many participants as possible.
• Existing positive relationships between staff and potential clients creates a more accessible and welcoming atmosphere.

 

Organisations

Fife Council (Education Service), Citizens Advice and Rights Fife (CARF), Selected schools in Fife

Location

Fife Council area

Contact