Money Matters: unlocking extra income for families – a policy report (January 2024)
Billions of pounds in benefits go unclaimed every year meaning many families are facing unnecessary hardship.
That’s why Kellogg’s partnered with Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA) to pilot Money Matters, a scheme that put benefits advisors directly into schools to help parents access the support they are eligible for. In the first year alone 104 families received more than £163,009 in unclaimed benefits.
Now Kellogg’s and GMPA are encouraging the government to roll out Money Matters across the rest of the UK, so more families can benefit from this life changing programme and access money to which they are already entitled.
GMPA is piloting an innovative approach to tackling poverty with its Money Matters programme, funded by Kellogg’s.
Money Matters is modelled on a successful pilot, and since fully-rolled out initiative, in Glasgow and aims to increase household income by providing debt and benefit advice in schools.
GMPA’s approach involves working with Citizens Advice SORT, to provide an accredited Financial Inclusion Officer able to support families in school settings. We are working in Trafford and Manchester, with schools including primary and secondary settings and a further education college. This work has included being present at parents’ evenings, hosting coffee mornings and drop-ins, and communicating with families via school newsletters and update apps.
Since June 2022 we have achieved more than £270,000 in gains for household incomes, with most of this total coming from ongoing benefits income and meaning that the cumulative gains from this work will be considerably higher. The gains have also included grants to reduce utility debts, support with buying school uniform, and help in securing vital household items including cookers.
A full evaluation of Money Matters was carried out at the end of the 2022/23 academic year. Findings from the evaluation are being used to influence GMPA’s policy and advocacy asks, and to further expand the work where this is needed.
To find out more about Money Matters, please contact our Head of Programmes Daniel Oliver.
(c) Greater Manchester Poverty Action 2024. All Rights Reserved.
Funding and support
This programme is funded by Kellogg’s. Kellogg’s has been supporting school breakfast clubs in the UK since 1998 helping to alleviate child hunger. Kellogg’s funding for GMPA’s Money Matters Programme is driven by a desire to understand how they can further support low income families.
Citizens Advice provides free, confidential and impartial advice to millions of people every year and their expertise and resources will be a valuable aid to the project. The Financial Inclusion Officer involved in the delivery of this Programme is on secondment from Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford (CASORT).
The programme is also being supported by the local authorities in Trafford, Stockport and Rochdale to ensure that we can help more families.
