Financial inclusion project - initiatives

Affordable credit

  • The roll out of Credit Union branches in the Council's One Stop Centre and Housing cash offices
  • Expansion of the development of credit union schools saving clubs
  • Launch of an enterprise loan scheme run by the credit union to provide finance to small businesses who would not normally be able to raise funds for expansion (funded through LEGI)
  • The launch of the Leeds Loan Shark project in conjunction with Birmingham City Council and West Yorkshire Trading Standards
  • Launch of the credit union 'Handiloan' affordable loan scheme
  • Launch of a new Community Development Finance Institution

Debt/money advice

  • Development of the Leeds Money Advice Project (MAP) partnership which unified all the city'sfive debt advice providers and resulted in a successful joint bid to the DTI (now BIS) for additional face to face debt advice funding.
  • Developing a project to provide basic financial management and debt counselling training to staff working in the Council's customer service points and other front line staff
  • Offering families advice services via the Council's Children's Centres which provide integrated childcare and education for early years children.
  • Development of debt and financial advice packages by Leeds Housing Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) and housing associations, to assist tenants with their debt and money problems.
  • Provided an extensive communications network between all partners involved in debt money advice support to enable easier access to debt counselling appointments for clients.
  • Advice Leedsis a partnership of independent advice providers in Leeds

The five Leeds debt advice agencies have been working closely togethersince 2004 and now the Advice Leeds Partnership has been formed which brings together all partners in the city who have any involvement in delivering advice services. This involves public, voluntary and private sector organisations.The Council’s Corporate Debt Policy also provides a fully integrated mechanism for helping citizens who have significant debts to the Council. The partnership is working together to:

  • Improve access to free and independent advice in Leeds
  • Their focus is on providing advice in social welfare law to local people in the most need.
  • The main areas of advice are Welfare Benefits, Debt, Employment, Housing, Immigration and Community Care. Access to free, independent and quality advice provides an important lifeline for many people who are experiencing the effects of poverty and social injustice.

Financial literacy

  • Co-development of financial literacy packages for young children by the Council's library service and Yorkshire Bank.
  • Development by Children’s Services (Cities education administration provider) of financial literacy packages for school age children.
  • Working with the Money Advice Service to deliver financial capability training for all council staff.

Cross initiative/strategic

  • Key Improvement Priority in the Leeds Strategic Plan (successor to the Local Area Agreement)
  • New approach to developing a Council Corporate Debt Policy involving key partners who have direct experience in dealing with debt problems. The Policy can be downloaded as a PDF from this page
  • Commissioned research to determine the economic and regeneration impacts of financial inclusion initiatives.
  • Commissioned a repeat of the 2004 research – see separate page
  • Joined with seven other European partner cities developing joint approaches to social exclusion issues. Leeds showcasing the financial inclusion project.

Work with the Loan Shark Team

The Loan Shark Team work closely with the Financial Inclusion Partnership in Leedsand links have been established with a wide number of organisations working incommunities at risk of Loan Shark activity. One of the main problems faced by theteam is a reluctance of residents to report loan shark activity. The provision ofpublicity material and delivery of presentations to staff, volunteers, young parents,tenants and residents is an important part of the awareness work to try to overcomethis reluctance. Joint work with housing providers has been helpful to getting themessage across to Leeds residents.

A 24 hour dedicated, confidential hotline forconsumers is available to report loan sharks (0300 555 2222). It investigates complaints aboutillegal money lending and takes enforcement action where there is sufficientevidence.