How can I get confidential money advice at Queen Mary?

This blog was written by the Advice and Counselling Service at Queen Mary.

Feeling in control of your money can reduce stress and improve your wellbeing. To help you manage your money, we’re publishing blogs and content across our social media throughout the whole semester. In this post we’ll look at all the ways a Welfare Adviser from the Advice and Counselling Service can confidentially support you.

Helping you plan a budget

The easiest way to get an overview of your finances is to plan a budget. We have lots of resources including spreadsheets you can personalise, and a link to online budgeting apps, or your bank account might come with handy budgeting tools you can use. Once you have calculated your shortfall – the difference between your income and spending – you can start to take control of your money and consider your financial options.

Checking you are getting all the income you are eligible for 

A Welfare Adviser can check your eligibility for undergraduate or postgraduate funding, and explain what documents you need to submit with your Student Finance application. They can let you know whether you’ve been awarded the correct amount of funding and what the options are, if your household income has changed.

If you have a disability or dependent children, they can explain what extra financial support you can access from Student Finance England as well as any welfare benefits you might be eligible for.

Discussing options for increasing income or reduce your spending

Earnings from part-time work can supplement your student finance income as can having a student account with an interest-free overdraft. If you’re in financial hardship, you can also apply to the Financial Assistance Fund.  For information on these options and more ideas, why not have a look at our Additional Sources of Money for undergraduates and our Postgraduate Funding advice guides.

You might think it’s not possible to reduce your spending, but take a look at our Money Saving tips for ways of making small adjustments to your spending, which can positively impact your finances.  

Offering you a tailored 1:1 appointment to look at your finances

If you’re struggling financially, it can be difficult to see what the issues are, or what you can do about them. A Welfare Adviser can discuss your individual circumstances with you and offer you confidential, non-judgemental advice about your options. To book an appointment with a Welfare Adviser, complete our enquiry form or, if you prefer to research your options yourself, visit our Money pages where you can find all the advice and guidance you need in one place.