Money and debt advice (adult social care)

There is a range of money advice services available to you.

Disclaimer

The information on these pages is for your information only. The information is not exhaustive and other financial advisers are available.

South Tyneside Council is not responsible for the products, policies or services offered or approved by any external organisation or provider. The Council will not be responsible for damages or losses, however caused, or suffered by any person who relies on information and advice provided by any external organisation or provider.

If you're unhappy with financial advice you've had

If you are unhappy with any financial advice you have received, contact:

• Financial Ombudsman Service
• Society Of Later Life Advisors  - call 0333 2020 454 or email admin@societyofaterlifeadvisers.co.uk

There are organisations in South Tyneside offering free debt and money advice.

For more information see, Money and debt advice.

For those with more detailed financial advice requirements, it is often a good idea to consider paid for financial advice through an Independent Financial Advisor (IFA).

What an Independent Financial Adviser does 

Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) are professionals who offer independent advice on financial matters to their customers and recommend suitable financial products. You will need to pay them a fee, normally via an hourly rate, a set fee, a monthly retainer, or a percentage of the money invested.

All IFAs should be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) who regulate the financial services industry in the UK. This means IFAs meet the right standards and the customer gets more protection if they are not happy with the service, including the right to complain to the Financial Services Ombudsman and potential eligibility for compensation if things go wrong.

What advice they can give

Some IFAs are able to offer advice on products from any provider - others can only advice on products from one or a small number of providers. The IFA should tell you what range of products they are able to advice on when you first meet them.

How to find an Independent Financial Adviser

To find an IFA, a good starting point is the Financial Services Register, which offers a search facility.

For more specialist advice, the Society of Later Life Advisers is a register of IFAs who specialise and have been accredited in later life issues, including pensions, annuities, equity release and social care issues. The SOLLA website offers a search facility for local advisers.

Independent service providers are not endorsed by South Tyneside Council and we cannot be responsible for the financial advice they give you.  You should also be aware of deprivation of asset rules and bear these in mind when you are being advised by an IFA.

As well as the local organisations offering free money advice, there are a number of national organisations and websites that can help:

• Age UK - a range of advice and information resources, and they also offer a range of financial products and services for the over-50s, helping people plan for later life (or call 0800 678 1602)
• Carers UK - support for carers, including benefits checks, advice on financial and practical matters, and a listening service for carers to talk through their caring situation and how it makes them feel (or call 0808 808 7777)
• The Royal British Legion - for people who have worked in the armed forces, and their families, a range of benefit, money and financial support is available
• CarePlace - information about paying for your care and planning ahead
• Which?: Later life care - free, independent and practical guidance about making care choices
• Independent Age - 0800 319 6789
• Alzheimer's Society - 0333 150 3456
• Sense - for people who are deafblind (or call 0300 330 9256)
• EAC (Elderly Accommodation Counsel) - housing advice (or call 0800 377 7070)
• Dementia UK - 0800 888 6678

Independent service providers are not endorsed by South Tyneside Council and we cannot be responsible if the information is out of date as we rely on the service providers to notify us of any changes.

Please make your own enquiries about these services.