Our free and confidential services can help ease your money worries.
Think our financial support isn’t for you? Skip down to read our mythbusting guide. You could be surprised. Everyone will need to adapt to deal with the increase in the cost of living. If you’re worried about the impact of rising prices, please get in touch. We’re ready to support you whether you’re facing everyday concerns or exceptional situations. It’s why we’re here.
Financial support gives you breathing space so you can get your finances in order. Grants and donations are short term or one-off payments to help cover bills and unexpected costs. They’re not a loan. You don’t have to pay the money back.
Financial support is means-tested and we take into account your income, expenditure and capital. Talk to us before you assume you won’t be able to get financial support. Our criteria might be broader than you realise and there are many different ways that we can help.
Financial support could help pay for:
"I was facing a shortfall of about £500 a month. Whatever I did about the debts, it would just creep back up again. I spoke to a caba advisor who made me feel so much better. He said ‘Don’t worry. We can help you.'"
Becky
caba client
We’ll need more information about your financial situation to consider your request for financial support. It’s a simple process and you’ll have a dedicated support officer to help you at each stage.
If you already get means-tested UK benefits like Pension Credit or Universal Credit, you’re automatically eligible for some financial support like our back to school grant and winter fuel payment. These are also available through our means tested application if you don’t receive a means-tested benefit.
Getting your children ready for a new school year can be expensive. The Back to School discretionary donation is a fixed sum to help cover the cost. The money can be used to buy new school uniform, shoes, PE kit and other school essentials.
Keeping your home warm is good for your health and your wellbeing, but as fuel costs are rising you might find it too expensive to heat your home. The winter fuel payment is a fixed sum to help pay your heating bill. It is on top of any payment from the government.
For example:
Debt problems can happen to anyone. If you spot the warning signs, it’s best to act quickly before the situation spins out of control. If you’re based in the UK, our friendly specialist debt advisors take time to understand your situation without judgement. You’ll work together to explore your options and develop a plan to get your finances back in order. We can help you understand your bills and what you owe, negotiate realistic payment plans with creditors on your behalf and will help you prioritise which debts to pay first. Your debt advisor will keep you up to date at every step with advice and information. You can also access our debt toolkit to help you get a handle on your finances. Contact us if you’re living outside the UK to understand the support available that fits your personal circumstances.
We don’t provide financial assistance towards the repayments of debts.
Many people miss out on financial help through benefits, government schemes, grants and other kinds of financial support because they don’t know what’s available to them. It’s a complicated area that changes every year. Our UK benefits calculator supplied by Turn2us will highlight where you could be missing out. You may find it helpful to read our simple guide to the main UK benefits. However, you don’t need to do everything by yourself because our experts can help you make sense of it all. They’ll explore the options available to you, including other sources of support, complete any application processes with you and could help you challenge an existing benefit decision. We can also work with you to find out if there’s any local financial support if you’re living outside the UK.
One problem can lead to another. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and money worries are taking a toll on your mental wellbeing or affecting your family, then our individual or relationship counselling services can help. Counselling is not just talking. It’s a systematic process. A qualified counsellor listens and helps you to find how to move through the problems you’re facing, develop new strengths and improve your wellbeing.
Counselling can help you:
We support past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW)1, ACA students2, ICAEW staff members3, and the family and carers of members and students4.
You can find out more about our available support both in the UK and around the world on our support we offer page.
If you need financial support, we carry out a means test where we consider income, expenditure, capital and assets.
*Please note none of our other services are means-tested.
It depends on the individual situation, but we can work very quickly if it’s an emergency.