August bank holiday on Monday, August 25 means many benefits arrive early. Payments due on August 23–25 will instead be made on Friday 22 August. This applies to major benefits: Universal Credit, Child Benefit, state pension, PIP, carer’s and attendance allowance. The early payments are to ensure families do not suffer from financial disruption so they can plan for bills, groceries, and back-to-school costs. #StFrancisEmployability #Benefits #BankHoliday

We are fortunate that Dr Bike aka Andrew is attending St Francis Employability over the next few weeks to offer FREE bike safety checks to keep you and your family cycling safe during the holidays. Dr Bike is able to to do a thorough safety check of your bike and time permitting complete minor repairs. Dr Bike will be coming back to St Francis Employability on, Wednesday 26th August, Thursday 3rd September and Monday 7th September between 9:30am - 1:30pm, no need to book just

There is an important date of 23 August 2026 and you may need to take action now. The Scheme is closed until October 2026 but there is an important date of 23 August 2026 that could affect you receiving the one-off discount of £150 on your electricity bill or prepayment electric meter between November 26 and March 27. (The money is not paid directly to you). If you’re eligible, your electricity supplier will apply the discount to your bill. You do not need to do anything

Blue Badge holders can park for free at Walsgrave Hospital, but registration of the badge may be required for first-time visitors. Disabled individuals with a valid Blue Badge are entitled to free parking at Walsgrave Hospital, whether attending as a patient or visiting someone. Free parking is available for the duration of your visit or appointment, ensuring easier access without parking First-time visitors must register their Blue Badge before visiting to access free parki

With everyone watching the pennies, preparing the daily lunch boxes can dent your wallet. If your child has not been automatically enrolled by the Council, could your child be entitled to free school meals? There are many benefits including, saving more than £450 a year per child, saving the time and hassle of shopping for and preparing packed lunches and knowing your child is getting a healthy, tasty cooked meal that can mean they achieve more on a full stomach. You could

Ever wondered what a day in the life of an ESOL tutor is like? Here's a little peek behind the scenes! 🔎What's on your desk? 🍌 Bananas – A quick energy boost to keep me going through busy teaching days. 📎 Stapler – There's always another worksheet to prepare! It keeps everything organised and ready for class. 🎧 Headphones – My little space for motivation and creativity while planning lessons. 💻 Computer – Probably my most important teaching tool. I love creating lessons

Looking for work... In work and want to know more... Want to develop your workplace skills and knowledge... Then this could be the course for you!! Our Steps to Success course takes place each week and covers topics such as AI in the workplace, workers rights, mental wellbeing and ends with a professional mock interview! The next Steps 2 Success course starts on Tuesday 21st July, if you would like more information please contact David via the details on the poster. #StFranci

What is a Social Supermarket? A social supermarket is designed to provide affordable food and essential items to individuals and families in need, while also promoting social inclusion and community support. These supermarkets typically operate on a membership basis, where customers are often required to demonstrate low income or financial hardship to access the services. Key Features of our Social Supermarket Affordable Pricing: Just £7.00 per week for your weeks worth of s

What a fantastic day! 🎉 Today, we had the pleasure of taking our clients to Coventry Building Society, where they experienced realistic mock interviews and received valuable, personalised feedback to help them prepare for future job opportunities. A huge thank you to Lynne and the entire Coventry Building Society team for your exceptional hospitality and such a warm welcome. Your generosity, professionalism, and willingness to share your expertise made the experience truly m

If you are unable to attend our group Budgeting Sessions on the first 2 Wednesdays of the month, we can offer you an individual budgeting appointment. The appointment will be confidential, non-judgmental and tailored to how you are managing your money with the aim to improve your financial confidence so you are more financially capable. During the appointment we can help you to prepare your own budget, checking that you are maximising your income, making any eligible benefit

Thank you to Unison Coventry, @coventryunison for coming to St Francis Employability and meeting with learners from our LifeSkills employment course. During the 2-hour workshop, the team from Unison spoke to our clients about the rights of workers in the UK, how to access support, and the benefits of joining a union. There were also opportunities for the clients to ask questions and do some real myth-busting. We are very grateful to Unison for joining us in our ongoing suppor

Are you struggling to manage your money and unsure if you are getting all the financial help you are entitled to? Join our next budgeting and debt management sessions, looking at how you can prepare a budget that could help you address your spending so you can get the most out of your money. Please call Nic on 07387 66 8322 to join the next course (Held on the first and second Wednesday afternoons in the month). #FinancialEducation #WelfareTeam #StFrancisEmployability #Com

Today a client was given advice on claiming Pension Credit. Could you be eligible? If your total household income including any wages, private and state pensions is less than £227.10 per week as a single person or £346.60 as a couple and you have savings under £16,000, you may be entitled to this additional financial help from the DWP. Pension Credit opens the doors to other financial benefits that could help reduce you outgoings and make your golden years a bit easier. P

The Welfare Team received a lovely card from a client we have been supporting over the last few months. We helped her and her family with housing, benefit and debt issues as they started a new life after suffering domestic violence. Together we worked hard to ensure the family are now safe, settled and moving on and this show of appreciation really means a lot!

When you leave a property, provide your supplier with meter readings so they can close your account and provide a final bill for you to pay. If you haven't done this and the new tenants don't register with a supplier, you may be liable for their usage. It may only be when your credit rating is impacted and you start to receive debt collectors' letters that you realize your old supplier believes you are still living there and need to pay the bill. Likewise, when you move into