How about an informative sticky regarding:

FRUGAL_4

I wonder if you could have a sticky/thread or something to inform people who are on benefits for whatever reason, where they can go for advice regarding housing, debt, CCCS and Payplan details, basic bank accounts and most importantly where to obtain a small loan to cover essential items i.e a washing machine. I personally know the CAB is their for some of that information, but I don't have a CAB office local to me anymore, I would have to travel 15 miles, and I know from my sisters experience that their is a long waiting list for appointments.

Sometimes trying to get all the required info at the job centre is not easy, MSE Martin is on morning tv and I think there are lots of people who are unemployment/on benefits/disability benefits/or even a carer who need straight forward informative help and I think MSE could offer them some assistance, and I know from my sisters situation you can go from living in a private home and being employment into rented accomodation and having no employment through no fault of ones own (she has since got rid of the OH who gambled and drank his way into debt and unemployment), what concerns me most was the fact she had people knocking on the door at Xmas offering her a loan at an huge APR and she was tempted I can tell you, people need to know if they have options open to them to avoid using these parasites...very scary situation. Many of us whether employed or not should have some knowledge of the benefits system/sites to visit for informative help so posters can advise on the DFW board or to simply help someone out who they know. You never know what is around the corner........