Hot on the heels of the economic effects of the pandemic, the rising costs of living is making life financially challenging for so many people across the country. Sadly, this has been harnessed as an opportunity for scammers. We have already seen reports of bogus energy companies or price comparison groups offering “too good to be true” deals to steal people’s money, as well as fake cost of living texts attempting to get access to people’s bank accounts.
This is why it’s more important than ever to know where you can access support. If you suspect that you or someone you are close to has been targeted by a scam, our online advice site has lots of information on how to identify if something is a scam. You can even use our online scams helper which will ask you a series of questions about the potential scam and then give you advice on what to do next. Just go to www.citizensadvice.org.uk and use the search tool to find what you need.
Knowing where to access safe and reliable support to help ease the cost-of-living crisis can also help you steer clear of scammers whilst reducing your spending, boosting your income and making your money go further in these difficult times. This is why Citizens Advice Scotland have created the Money Map.
The Money Map pulls together all the best online resources that can help you to access support to boost your income, save money and cut the costs of daily living and puts them together into one place that is simple and easy to use. From benefits to grants, council tax to housing, energy to food & clothing, the Money Map will send you to the most helpful sites where financial assistance can be accessed. It even offers support and resources on better budgeting, help with banking and useful tips on how to save money. You can create a personalised list of information that you want to go back to and look at in more detail, making it the perfect tool for a complete money-make-over. Just go to moneymap.scot to get started.
2022 is set to be a challenging time for people’s finances, but you needn’t face the cost-of-living crisis alone. If you are struggling to meet rising living costs, the Money Map may be able to help you make your money go further. It will give you the key knowledge you need to boost your income, reduce costs, and make savings across everyday bills.
Blog post by Citizens Advice Scotland
