Money anxieties relieved through local support

Helping people with a range of issues is something that Start Point – an Online Centre in Stockport – have lots of experience with. Start Point have been part of the HMRC Advice and Support Programme since 2015, which has helped over 50,000 people to date. 

When Ronald (name changed for anonymity) first encountered Carl he was about to retire. Ronald was feeling anxious as he was concerned about how receiving a lump sum payment from a private pension would affect his National Insurance (NI) contributions and tax. Having tried to use the HMRC website by himself, Ronald had become overwhelmed, saying he “didn’t know where to start.” 

Enter Carl. Carl, a staff member at Start Point, often goes out to local hotspots such as cafe sessions at Stockport Homes or the local library, to make sure the community hears about the services that Start Point can offer. Wearing his branded t-shirt at the library, Carl met Ronald’s sister and got chatting about the kind of support they provide. Quickly realising that it was exactly the kind of help that Ronald was after, Ronald’s sister made the connection and he soon got in touch.  

Ronald says:

I was feeling really anxious about how my money would be affected – I knew there was a deadline and it was a big worry for me that I would lose out if I didn’t do the right thing. But Carl helped me find the information to help me make the right decision.

Carl was able to find the right information, working with Ronald to use the HMRC website, along with the government’s Money and Pensions Service website. He also signposted Ronald to local digital training courses and Learn My Way, to help him build his digital confidence. Carl says “It’s important that the HMRC support can be served alongside support with other issues. When we can help people with a range of issues through wider support websites and services it builds trust that we’re trying to help, rather than just pushing one service.” 

Ronald went away at the end of the day feeling more confident with the answers to his questions. “Thanks to Carl’s help I feel really relieved. And now I know where to go next time if anything else comes up.”