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Quids in! The UK’s Number 1 Money Magazine | ISSUE 31 Summer 2016 www.quidsinmagazine.com
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INSIDE!
Advice on: ✔ Spending ✔ Saving ✔ Borrowing ✔ Earning
7 SIGNS New book aims to help unemployed
WIN! ad Win a nifty iP 0! 3 3 £ h rt o w Air
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TAX CREDITS
He who dares... DEL BOY ★★★
YOUR MONEY
Are you getting what you deserve?
shares his ‘wisdom’
BE INFORMED
TAKE CONTROL
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I can be terrible for putting off today what can wait until tomorrow to be done. I do it in all things and despite all my years at Quids in!, that sometimes includes around money. It’s taken me six months to make the simple decision to look at my energy bills. It’s hung over my head like a massive deal. Like applying for a job. Or visiting the dentist. Then in 20 minutes it was over. Only five of those minutes were spent filling the online form, the rest were looking at old bills. The good news is I can now save £269 through Quids in! Switch (see p7). The bad news is the six months it’s taken to get this far means I’ve already paid out £135 I didn’t need to. Over £20 a month! I feel slightly sick. Talking of applying for a job, it’s great to be able to share some of what I’ve witnessed through working with jobseekers for the past 20 years, (see the feature 7 signs, p4-5). I’m hoping the book I’ve written will also inspire jobseekers to take action today. So many have so much more to offer than they realise. No more putting things off! Lovely jubbly.
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Jeff Editor
BANKS SAY ‘NO’ TO 6 MILLION Research reveals people refused current accounts
In this issue… “He Who Dares” ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ from Del Boy himself page 6
The study found six in 10 customers feel High Street banks do not care about low-paid workers, highlighting the growing number of consumers not served by traditional high street outlets. @quidsinmagazine The research also found up to 12 per cent of adults had been turned down for services including current accounts, debit New research, from challenger bank cards, and online banking in the past 24 Pockit, reveals one in eight adults – many months. It means they are excluded from in junior roles in the health, education and money-saving tools such as online shopping emergency services – have been rejected or direct debits, forcing them to use more by banks since 2014. expensive ways to pay household bills. OAPs and the 3.6 million Of those surveyed, more than workers who are paid in cash, Quids in! says… four in ten believe that they were such as builders, plumbers and If you are rejected rejected for banking facilities other tradesmen, are also hit for a current account, because of their poor credit by strict bank rules, excluding ask about a basic bank record, and a similar amount them from online discounts account. Everyone said it was because of their and also from services such as has the right to have one low income. direct debits. Six million Britons have been refused an account by a big high street bank in the past two years
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editor@quidsinmagazine.com
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Welcome
Know When You’re Ready
Sausage Casserole
Getting yourself set for a job page 4
Our yummy, cheap recipe page 8
Quids in! magazine
❍ Address 3 Monmouth Place, Bath, BA1 2AT. Tel 08456 8049 06 ❍ Editor Jeff Mitchell Email editor@quidsinmagazine.com ❍ Publisher Steve Faragher Email steve@socialpublishingproject.com ❍ Comms Officer Dan Fineman Email dan@ socialpublishingproject.com ❍ Advertising Opportunities Lisa Woodman Email lisa@ socialpublishingproject.com ❍ Copy Sales Rhiannon McNamara, Deborah Colvill Email rhiannon@socialpublishingproject.com, debbie@socialpublishingproject.com ❍ Cartoon by Rachel Wotton www.harmfulraes.com Quids in! makes every effort to ensure content is correct at the time of going to print. Readers should take specialist advice where necessary. Quids in! has no political allegiances, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. Any relationship with advertisers or sponsors is always on the understanding that we retain our editorial independence.
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Quids in! magazine is designed to help people understand and manage their money better. It is published quarterly by the Social Publishing Project, a social enterprise.
Quids in! magazine is supported by Aon and Aviva. Aon arranges home contents insurance with Aviva for tenants of social and council housing. Ask your landlord if they have a scheme in place.
BUZZ
The latest news affecting you and your finances
CAN YOU GET TAX CREDITS?
NUMBER CRUNCHED UNIVERSAL CREDIT (UC)
2.5M
People the Resolution Foundation say will be worse off under Universal Credit
Benefits experts claim one million people missing out
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Get tax credits now, and the money should be guaranteed when you switch to Universal Credit @quidsinmagazine
£3,000
What some of the worst off could lose every year
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450,000
Over a million people are missing out on an average of £50 a week in tax credits, mostly people who are working in low wage jobs and don’t have children, according to benefit experts ‘entitledto’. Universal Credit (UC) is now being rolled out across the UK and once it’s in your area you will no longer be able to apply for tax credits. To make sure you don’t lose out you need to check if you are eligible and claim tax credits now, before it’s too late.
Number of people to have made a claim already
What a tweet!
If you claim tax credits in time, it not only increases your income now – it could also mean you will get the extra money for years to come. The government has promised no-one will be worse off on UC. It only takes a few minutes to check using the calculator at www.takeup. entitledto.co.uk and you could claim £1,000s of pounds.
Video of the issue
9,500
Number of new claims being made every week UC is a big change, with winners and losers – are you ready for it?
SPOTTED OUR QIMAG.UK LINKS? You can follow up what you read in Quids in! on the net. Simply type the qimag.uk/link into the web address bar on your browser and press 'enter'. Check out our latest country playlist at qimag.uk/qicountry16
FAIR FOR YOU
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Ethical loans to buy fridges, beds etc, and they get a near 100% rating from their customers! @fairforyou
HOW TO MAKE MONEY
Ben Saunders issues some sound advice for teenagers wanting money qimag.uk/summer2016video
JOIN THE CONVERSATION… THRIFTY TIPS
When you buy a new duvet, if your old one is good condition, don’t throw it away. You could use it as a cosy mattress protector instead. It adds a layer of softness to your bed and it won’t cost you a penny! I recently bought new pillows, and found the material in my old pillows ideal to pad out my sagging sofa cushions. I also used this material to re-cover the seating pads on our dining room chairs. Sharon Boothroyd, West Yorkshire
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POST The Editor, Quids In! 3 Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AT EMAIL editor@quidsinmagazine.com TWEET @quidsinmagazine.com
Have you got something you want to tell us, or a money-saving hint or tip to share? Each issue we’ll send £50 to our best letter writer, emailer or tweeter! Don’t forget to include your name and address.
Quids in! | 3
Quids in! editor Jeff Mitchell believes there are seven things employers secretly look for that separate people who are right for a job from the rest. In a new book, he reveals them
SWITCHING ON THE E L SIGNS MP
‘FORSHIRE’ A B
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eing unemployed was awful. You feel worthless and not quite a member of society but I also remember how nervous I felt about going back to work. You get in a rut and rely on benefits, and fear not being able to pay your bills.� Denise first attended the 7 Signs course run by Clean Slate Training & Employment in July 2014. It is a project set up by Jeff Mitchell in 2006, two years
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before he launched Quids in! magazine. Denise recalls how she felt the first day of her course. “I had lost confidence in my abilities but I knew deep down that I did have something to offer. I felt pressure to set a good example for my daughter, but the Jobcentre sent me in directions I didn’t want to go. Do I look like I could erect steel shelves in a warehouse? I couldn’t. Bad advice destroys your dignity.�
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SIGNS FOR THE TIMES A new book written by Jeff will appear this summer to help jobseekers think differently about job hunting. Called I’m Ready – the 7 signs that show you’re right for the job!, it draws on 20 years’ experience with unemployed people who, for various reasons, routinely find themselves on the ‘no’ list when applying for jobs. “The way many firms recruit is rubbish.
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EMPLOYMENT They think their processes create equal opportunities but they don’t. It’s only a level playing field for people who have been working and whose lives have always been straightforward,” explains Jeff. “I think there’s a different way. When you know what to look for, you can see which jobseekers really want your job and those who don’t. Now I want to help job hunters switch on those seven signs showing they’d make a great addition to a team.”
with training and access to employers.
E L P M A Denise (right) draws on her own experie nce to help people seek ing better paid wo rk
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PEER PRESSURE The book is based on a short training programme designed by Clean Slate. There are no teachers, just workers to help jobseekers discuss amongst themselves what employers really want. When Denise took the course, it was run over just two days: “The 7 Signs training made me think about what I did have to offer. I recognised skills that I had taken for granted or just didn’t believe were of value. It also enabled me to focus and by the end I had a clearer view of what I wanted to do. “I found the confidence to believe in myself once again and felt more positive about presenting myself to employers. I felt very motivated.” Within a month, Clean Slate had recruited Denise as a peer support worker, giving Denise the opportunity to prove herself. “Moving quickly into paid work was fantastic as it reinforced to me what the trainer had said. Although I thought I was capable, here I was doing it. Being employed gave me a real sense of achievement.” Denise later started running the course herself.
“Do I look like I could erect steel shelves in a warehouse? Bad advice destroys your dignity.”
a new London-based project that aims to help low paid workers increase their income and improve their lives, and their families’ wellbeing. In September, Denise applied for the coordinator role with Step Up, the Upwardly Mobile Network, working for Thames Reach in partnership with Clean Slate. “I was so excited when I was offered the job. Working more hours and getting a decent wage is very satisfying. I see prospects for the future now, and my daughter’s face when I told her we might be able to have a holiday this year said it all. Other members of Step Up are on the same journey as me. We all want to better our lives.” Anyone in London on low pay and parttime hours can sign up with the Step Up at www.stepup.london. Members receive text alerts about relevant jobs and training, one-to-one support and access to events
CASE FILE Name: Issy W Previous job: 13 years at NHS Background: Mother of four. Left work due to poor management support for childcare, leading to stress. Later diagnosed with depression.
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STEPPING UP The launch of I’m Ready… runs alongside
LOOKING FORWARD “When I meet jobseekers or Step Up members, I see the person they could become,” says Jeff. “I’ve worked with people with a very chequered past and there’s nothing to be gained by looking backwards. By focusing on some clear vision about life as it could be, many see beyond the barriers. It’s totally inspiring and I’ve tried to capture that in the book, which also tells the story of some of the characters I’ve met along the way.”
WIN I’M READY We have 10 copies of I’m Ready…, to give away. Just visit www.quidsinmagazine.com/ seven-signs and register your interest. 10 lucky readers will get a free copy of the book !
During the 7 Signs training we looked at skills and I was surprised how much I have to offer. I never thought of the skills I use in everyday life and how they can be transferred to other jobs. This made me feel more confident and keen to start matching my skills to opportunities out there. I realised I’m passionate about meeting new people and listening. When I interact with them I become energised. I love helping people. I‘ve started to see possibilities and have begun to prepare to overcome emotional barriers stopping me. I have chosen to work a few hours a week and will be building up as I feel stronger, working somewhere I can take a week off if I need to. There are companies who are flexible and value their people and their mental wellbeing. I will be very careful to make sure I choose a great employer in future.
Quids in! | 5
IN THE KNOW
★★★
DEL BOY
“HE WHO DARES WINS!”
Quids in! says… We can all learn from Del’s posi tive mental attit ude
“THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE MILLIONAIRES.” Quids in!
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Only Fool’s And Horses’ Del Boy has a new paperback out, full of his ‘wisdom’. Here are a few choice nuggets…
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ALWAYS MEET EXPECTATIONS With Christmas approaching, Del hatched a scheme to create a Santa’s grotto in a shed on the allotment, employing his grandad as Father Christmas. But the mums and kids that turned up weren’t impressed; they were “expecting a snowcovered meadow with a jolly, rosy-cheeked Saint Nick … and ended up with a flooded allotment and some half-cut old geezer coughing his guts up in a shed.”
SHOW EXAMPLES OF YOUR WORK Many years ago Del and his friend Denzil branched out into carpet laying when they managed to get hold of “a load of topquality, hundred per cent natural, nylon carpet.” And they made a smart move: “We did [my mum’s house] first, so it could act as a showroom for our skills,” says Delboy. And they sold the whole lot, although, “fair dos, the static was a bit of a ’mare, but it gave your hair plenty of body.”
“THERE’S NO POINT IN ING RUNNING AWAY. RUNN AWAY ONLY WEARS OUT YOUR SHOES.” ts
WORK OUT WHAT REALLY WENT WRONG Del and his friend Jumbo set up a fish stall outside their local, the Nag’s Head, called Eels on Wheels: “It turned out to be a bit of an earner … we used to knock out all sorts, home-made fish fingers, jellied eels, cockles, all the sort of slimy, wriggling stuff a bloke wants after a few pints.” Del thinks what went wrong was “television started to personalise fish” – with TV characters such as Flipper and Squiddly Diddly. “People started feeling guilty about tucking into anything with fins.” While this may have been a factor, Del tellingly admits: “the health inspector’s report didn’t help…”
says… Settin g a goal is a really go od thing, bu t best make sure it ’s realistic
CHECK THE MERCHANDISE In 1977, hotpants were all the rage, and maybe Del wasn’t best placed to enter this market. Having invested in 150 pairs he found they were XXXL. Not quite the figure-hugging hot-fashion item he was hoping for. Ever resourceful, he got Mrs Murphy from the estate to “make some adjustments … then tried to flog ’em as beach towels. That didn’t work either.” GET YOUR ADVERTISING RIGHT Derek got his Great uncle Albert’s girlfriend Elsie to hold a séance in the pub. The problem was, his promotion of the séance wasn’t the best. “A load of heavymetallers had crammed into the Nag’s Head … expecting to see an Iron Maidentype mob. Then Elsie Partridge walked out in her hat. She remained in a trance throughout the riot.
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There are lo Quids in! says… life, and hiding of challenges in se make them wor from them can
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MATCH THE SKILLS TO THE JOB Music promotion was something Del Boy tried quite regularly, never quite nailing it. When he set up his fiancée Raquel with a new singing partner at the Starlight Rooms, Del was dazzled by his image (Tony Angelino, the Singing Dustman). It turns out Tony couldn’t pronounce his Rs, which only became apparent during the mini-set of ‘Crying’, ‘Please Release Me’, ‘Congratulations’ and ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’.
BUY DEL’S BOOK You can get hold of a copy of Del’s book for a discount by shopping on Amazon. Use our link qimag.uk/delboybook and get it for a lot less then the RRP. When we went to press the £20 hardback was being sold for just £5.99 including delivery... Lovely Jubbly!
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Fair For You is the new alternative to high cost weekly payment stores. You can shop, using our online ‘virtual high street, for top brands and pay for them with our fair-priced, low cost loans that offer affordable, flexible and transparent payment terms. Unlike many weekly payment lenders, we don’t mark up the purchase price or charge admin fees. FREE DELIVERY is also included.
HOW EASY IS IT TO LOSE £180? VERY. JUST DO NOTHING.
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Ahhhh, lie-ins. What’s cosier than an extra 20 minutes in the morning? Or a lovely hot bath? But what if that time was worth money? Giving up that me time just once could save enough to heat the water for a bath a day for a year. Not so relaxing now, is it? Once you have the details to hand, it takes five minutes to see how much you could save. Quids in! switch does not ask for your contact details before showing you results.
All you need:
✔ Name of your current supplie r(s) ✔ Name of the type of tariff(s) you have (eg, Standard) ✔ How much you use (kWh) per year or how much you pay per month or year
Quids in! switch
Switch your gas and electricity
Visit www.qimag.uk/qiswitch or call Freephone 0808 1788 170 See www.qimag.uk/EnergySwitch for advice on switching
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The page that has all the bits that don’t fit anywhere else!
PRIZE CROSSWORD Win an iPad Air
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✆ QUIDS IN! USEFUL NUMBERS LOAN SHARKS The National Illegal Money Lending Team tackles loan sharks. To report a loan shark anonymously you can call them 365 days a year on ✆ 0300 555 2222, text LOAN SHARK and your details to 60003 or email them at reportaloanshark@ stoploansharks.gov.uk. In Wales call ✆ 0300 123 3311or send an email to imlu@cardiff.gov.uk
Disabilit y Benefits Centre (✆ 0345 605 6055) and for Child Benefit and tax credits call Inland Revenue (✆ 0845 300 3900). • Council Tax and Housing Benefit is dealt with by your local council. • Pensioners should call the Pensions Service (✆ 0800 99 12340). • Free benefits calculator www.entitledto.co.uk
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DEBT ADVICE For free debt advice and help, contact any of the CREDIT UNIONS organisations below. fornotare Credit unions • National Debtline profit organisations that ✆ 0808 808 4000 www. , unts acco bank ide prov nationaldebtline.co.uk They loans and savings. • StepChange Debt Charity may help people the banks ✆ 0800 138 1111 l loca your nd fi won’t. To www.stepchange.org credit union call ✆ 0161 • Citizens Advice 832 3694 or visit www. www.citizensadvice.org. .uk. n.co unio edit findyourcr uk. In Wales call ✆ 08444 77 20 20 England call S EFIT BEN ✆ 08444 111 444 and t men • For unemploy • Christians Against work-related benefits talk Poverty (CAP) . Plus e entr to Jobc www.capuk.org. or ies • People with disabilit ✆ 01274 760720 carers should contact the
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Enter online at qimag.uk/ crossword or simply complete the crossword and pop it in the post to us. Don’t forget to include your name and address. Send your completed crossword to iPad Air, Quids in!, 3 Monmouth Place, Bath BA1 2AT.. Or you can enter by taking a pic of your completed crossword and sending it to editor@quidsinmagazine. com.. Closing Date 31st August 2016. See www. quidsinmagazine.com for terms and conditions. ACROSS 1 They rescue swimmers (10) 6 Keyboard instrument (5) 7 Drinking tube (5) 9 Helmets, breastplates etc (6) 11 Couple (4) 13 Lazy or at rest (4)
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HOW TO ENTER
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6. Sausage Casserole
Hearty and satisfying, this cheap and easy one-pot dinner will keep a whole family quiet. INGREDIENTS
• Tablespoon of oil • Pack of sausages • Two carrots, chopped • Onion, chopped • Tin of beans, any kind you like • Tin of chopped tomatoes • Stock cube • Herbs • Dash of vinegar METHOD
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and then pop in the sausages and cook over a medium heat until they start to brown. Add the carrots and onions, and cook until they soften. 2. Add the beans (and the liquid they’re in) and tomatoes, and about another can full of water. 3. Add the stock cube, a sprinkle of
SERVES 4+
COSTS £2
dried herbs and a dash of vinegar. Leave on a low heat for 20 minutes with the lid on. If your sauce is still too runny after that time, let it carry on cooking with the lid off until it reduces to your liking. To serve, sprinkle over some chopped herbs and add to mashed potato, rice, or just big hunks of bread to mop up the delicious juices. Visit www.quidsinmagazine.com for more recipes and cooking ideas