Coronavirus helplines

HELPLINES YOU MAY FIND USEFUL DURING THE COVID 19 OUTBREAK

Government Helplines

Government Business Support Helpline: 0300 456 3565 https://www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline

HMRC Coronavirus Tax Helpline: 0800 015 9559 https://www.gov.uk/difficulties-paying-hmrc

Universal Credit Helpline: 0800 328 5644 https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/

School Closures Coronavirus Helpline: 0800 046 8687

Mental Health

Anxiety UK Charity providing support if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety condition. Phone: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm) Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk

Bipolar UK A charity helping people living with manic depression or bipolar disorder. Website: www.bipolaruk.org.uk

CALM CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15 to 35. Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight) Website: www.thecalmzone.net

Men’s Health Forum 24/7 stress support for men by text, chat and email. Website: www.menshealthforum.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation Provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities. Website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Mind Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems. Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) Website: www.mind.org.uk

No Panic Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia or OCD. Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm). Calls cost 5p per minute plus your phone provider’s Access Charge Website: www.nopanic.org.uk

OCD Action Support for people with OCD. Includes information on treatment and online resources. Phone: 0845 390 6232 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm). Calls cost 5p per minute plus your phone provider’s Access Charge Website: www.ocdaction.org.uk

OCD UK A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments. Phone: 0333 212 7890 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) Website: www.ocduk.org

PAPYRUS Young suicide prevention society. Phone: HOPELINEUK 0800 068 4141 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 10pm, and 2pm to 10pm on

Rethink Mental Illness Support and advice for people living with mental illness. Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm) Website: www.rethink.org

Samaritans Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair. Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline) Website: www.samaritans.org.uk

SANE Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.

SANEline: 0300 304 7000 (daily, 4.30pm to 10.30pm) Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: www.sane.org.uk/ textcare Peer support forum: www.sane.org.uk/supportforum Website: www.sane.org.uk/support

YoungMinds Information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals. Phone: Parents’ helpline 0808 802 5544 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm) Website: www.youngminds.org.uk

Debts

Step Change FreeHelpline: 0800 138 1111 stepchange.org

National Debtline Free Helpline: 0808 808 4000 nationaldebtline.co.uk

Business Debtline Free Helpline: 0800 197 6026 bdl.org.uk

Turn2us Helpline: 0808 802 2000 Turn2us.org.uk

Older People Age UK Helpline: 0800 169 6565 ageuk.org.uk

How to overcome loneliness

Independent Age (Advice and Support for Older Age) Advice line: 0800 319 6789 Independentage.org

RVS (Royal Voluntary Service) Call: 0845 608 0122

Domestic Abuse National domestic abuse helpline 0808 200 0247

Domestic Violence Assist 0800 195 8699 - specialises in providing assistance to obtain emergency injunctions

Women’s Aid Domestic Violence 0808 2000 247

Men’s Advice Line 0808 801 0327

National LGBT Domestic Abuse Helpline 0800 999 5428

National Centre for Domestic Violence 0800 970 2070

National Stalking Helpline 0808 802 0300

Victim Support 08 08 16 89 111

20 REASONS WHY YOU NEED PROTECTION

In 2020 we’ll have been in business for 20 years! To celebrate, each month we’re sharing 20 top tips about topics that are closest to our heart. Our aim is always to provide you with the best possible information so you can make informed financial decisions. This month we’re talking about insurance and the reasons why you need both personal and business protection.

20 Reasons Why You Need Protection

No-one wants to pay for insurance, but we all have a responsibility to make sure we, our families, and our estate are protected. If you own a business, you should also have protection in case you, one of your partners, shareholders or key employees were to die or were unable to work because of a serious illness.

In this article, we’ll outline 20 reasons why you need individual and business insurance. First, why do you need individual protection?

Individual Protection

A life insurance plan will protect the people who are dependent on your income if you pass away. The sum they receive can be used to repay debts, provide your family with an income or provide a legacy for their future. We can help you calculate how much money your dependents would need if you died and help you plan a capital sum to provide for your family without incurring any unnecessary inheritance tax. A critical illness plan will provide a lump sum if you survive a qualifying serious illness for a minimum period. Advances in medicine thankfully mean more people recover from critical illnesses, but their lives often change profoundly afterwards –

for example, they may not be able to work, may have to move to a new house or they may need to replace the income they lost when they were ill. Income protection provides the reassurance that you will receive a monthly payment so you can pay your bills and maintain your lifestyle if you can’t work due to sickness or injury. We can help by reviewing your existing provision from private policies or employment benefits and arrange the most appropriate plan within your budget if required. Accident protection provides a tax-free lump sum if you have an accidental injury. Buildings and contents insurance protects your home and belongings in case of fire, theft, loss or accidental damage. We can arrange a quotation for you, advise about different levels of cover and provide information about protecting your valuables outside the home. If you rent out properties, landlords’ insurance can provide protection for your building and contents. Landlord’s insurance will also provide a lump-sum if your tenants don’t pay their rent and if your property is left empty during a claim. Private client’s insurance is for high net-worth clients. We can arrange one bespoke insurance policy to cover all your general insurance needs. This might be building and contents insurance for several properties, for example, plus cars and even boats or a plane. Private medical insurance gives you the reassurance that you will receive assistance if you need access to private medical care for yourself or your family following accident or illness. We can help you arrange individual protection by gaining a clear understanding of your background and circumstances, which enables us to recommend custom-designed solutions that suit your needs. If you’d like to find out more information about