Boost your income

1

Making the money you already have go further by creating a household budget. 

This is a good idea if you:

• often do not know where your money is going or what you are spending it on, or
• forget to set aside money for things you pay yearly or infrequently, like insurance, car tax, MOTs, or dentist visits or,
• would like to feel more in control of your money, and less anxious about your ability to pay for the things you need.

2

Earning more money by checking if you can get more benefits. 

This is a good idea if:

• You haven’t checked in a while, or
• Things have changed (like if you have moved house, had a child, changed jobs, or become a single parent).

3

Getting back on top of debt and changing your debt repayments. 

This is a good idea if you:

• haven’t agreed an affordable debt repayment plan with your supplier(s),
• do not have enough money to pay repayments and your ongoing bills,
• have a debt repayment plan, but now you can’t afford to pay what you agreed.

4

Find your Child Trust Fund

What is a Child Trust Fund?

From 1st September 2002 to 2nd January 2011, the government gave money to help start savings accounts for children. Each child received £250 and children from lower income families received £500. Parents, family and friends could then add money to the savings account over the years.

Once the child turned 16, they could take control of the account, and at 18 they could take the money out if they wanted to.

There are around 670,000 young people who have not claimed their Child Trust Fund, with an average balance of £2,212 in the account.

Find out if you have an unclaimed Child Trust Fund in 4 steps:

1. Use the Find a Child Trust Fund tool
2. It will take around 10 minutes to complete the online form – make sure to have your National Insurance number handy
3. HMRC will check their records and tell you if you have an account
4. If you are 16 years old, you will be able to take control of the account until you turn 18 when you will have full access to the account and the money in there.

Find out more about Child Trust Funds.