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Mental health and support

Life has its ups and downs, and we’re here to help with either if you need us. If you think your money might be affecting your mental health, there’s lots we can do that might help.

We all know money’s important. It makes life possible, which is why it can also be one of our greatest sources of anxiety – we know we need to deal with it, but we don't always know where to start. So we want to change that, which starts by creating a money wellness hub where you’ll find lots of interesting articles and helpful information to help guide you through your financial life.

Your mental health and money

Money problems and struggles with mental health are often linked as they can influence each other. If your financial circumstances are affecting your mental health, you’re not alone. Research by the ONS suggests over a third of us feel stressed when we think about money – for more details see our money wellness index.

Signs you may be struggling include:

feeling anxious about reading bank statements or checking your account balance
being worried about paying bills or opening important letters
sleep being disturbed because you’re thinking about money
feeling low or anxious or not being able to see a way of controlling your money
feeling guilty about spending money or what you’ve bought

If any of these sound familiar, there are lots of ways to get help Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first].

How can we help

We know lots of people are worried about covering their normal monthly costs in these very difficult times so if your income has been affected, we’ve tried to make it as quick and easy as possible to find the Coronavirus help and guidance you need.

Budgeting and managing debt

Without having a full picture of what’s coming in and going out, it’s really easy to get in a mess. So if you need some help untangling your money, you can find information about budgeting, an online planner and much more using our money management help.

If you’re worried about managing debt or anything to do with your money, please give us a call on 03 456 100 188 and we’ll do everything we can to help. Lines are open 8am – 9pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 8pm Friday. If you prefer, you can also get free independent advice from:

StepChange Debt Charity: visit stepchange.org Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0800 138 1111
Citizens Advice: visit citizensadvice.org.uk Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0344 411 1444
Advice UK: visit adviceuk.org.uk Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0300 777 0107
National Debtline (if self-employed): visit nationaldebtline.org Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0808 808 4000
Money Advice Service: visit moneyadviceservice.org.uk Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0800 138 7777

Getting help from someone else

If you feel you can no longer manage your account(s) on your own, you can arrange to give someone else access and act for you either temporarily or permanently. If you think this might help, find out how to arrange someone else managing your money.

You can also get more information about this from Citizens Advice Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first].

Where else you can get help

If you’re worried about your mental health the best place to start is often a GP or another relevant healthcare professional – find out about NHS mental health services Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first]. There are also lots of other organisations that may be able to help including:

Samaritans: visit samaritans.org Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 116 123
Mind: visit mind.org.uk Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0300 123 3393
Rethink: visit rethink.org Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0300 500 0927
Anxiety UK: visit anxietyuk.org.uk Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first] or call 0844 775 774.

There really is a lot of support out there so if you’re worried about your money or your mental health don’t just put it off for another day. Get some help, you’ll feel better for it.