WHEN mum-of-two Becci James stopped using her car because she couldn't afford the fuel, she knew she was struggling.

The 42-year-old pupil support manager was working four days a week at the local state school and training the other day to become a young person's counsellor.

Money hadn't been an issue for her in the past but as the cost of living shot up, things began to get increasingly tight.

"My food bills had almost tripled, gas and electricity had doubled and small items such as insurance had to be dropped in order to meet the mounting cost of essentials for myself and the children," she told The Sun.

"I panicked when the car needed an MOT and constantly watched the prices of fuel to try and save where I could."

Becci, who lives in Lymington in Hampshire with her two daughters, Effie, 16, and Poppy, 13, had already resorted to loans and credit cards to pay for essentials, but even that was no longer an option.

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She even considered quitting her three-year counselling degree so she could pick up another day's work.

"Thoughts of my financial commitments were all-consuming," she said.

"I had one day a month when the weight lifted but the day after I was paid, my bills would leave me with nothing but my child benefit and tax credits payments on which to get by."

Becci said she felt "very trapped" and worried because ongoing union negotiations with the government meant "there is always a huge delay on any pay rises in state education".

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She started to drop financial commitments that weren't an immediate essential.

"I cut back on important things such as cover for my boiler being serviced and pet insurance," she said.

"I was gambling with potentially huge payments, without any savings behind me."

She stopped giving the girls pocket money, cancelled trips out together and was constantly turning off lights and using throws instead of putting the heating on.

"It's something that I never used to think twice about," she said.

Then, as she scoured her TSB banking app to find ways to cut down her spending even further, she noticed a new section called Money Worries.

"I was intrigued but thought that it would be an area for advice and not much more," she said.

"When I scrolled down and came across 'extra support', I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting very much."

But after following a link to Lightening Reach and filling in a short form about where she worked and how old her children were, a whole list of grants she was eligible for appeared.

Becci clicked through to The Teaching Staff Trust and it took her justmoments to apply.

Within a week she received £1,000 in vouchers to spend at Amazon and the big supermarkets.

"They came through almost immediately by email," she said.

"Receiving the news that I had been awarded a grant, I felt really valued for the work I do.

"It was as if there was finally an awareness that working in education makes a huge difference, but that like the NHS, staff are generally limited by restrictive pay boundaries.

"I also finally felt free of the stress and able to concentrate on my studies towards becoming a qualified counsellor."

Having access to the vouchers, Becci was able to ring fence some of her wages for bills instead of supermarket trips. 

"I had no idea that this opportunity existed until I came across it on the TSB app and since then I have successfully been awarded another two grants, both to support me in my studies.

"To say that they have made a huge difference to our lives is an understatement, as they have given me financial breathing space right when I needed it.

"To anyone who thinks they have exhausted all avenues, please complete this brief online form, there are support matches for lots of different careers and needs.

"There are charities out there just waiting to help you out.

"Do not be embarrassed or think it's not meant for you, as in this time of financial crisis, there are more of us than ever before who are working hard and still relying on vital help such as this."

Where to find financial help

There are several other grants and cash payments you can get if you're struggling.

Child winter heating payment

The child winter heating payment, formerly known as child winter heating assistance, will be paid to thousands of families from November.

The cash, worth £235.70, is issued to households to cover the cost of higher energy bills during the colder months.

But the benefit is only available to households in Scotland, with around 26,000 payments made in 2022/23.

You also have to be 18 or under and in receipt of one the following benefits:

• the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment
• the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance for children
• the enhanced daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
• the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment

You need to have been claiming one of the four above benefits between September 18 and September 24, although you can backdate claims.

Anyone eligible can apply by filling in a paper form found on the Scottish Government's website.

Warm home discount

Millions of households in England, Wales and Scotland can get £150 deducted off their energy bills through the warm home discount.

This winter the money will be taken off your bill between October 16 and March 2024.

You'll need to be in receipt of one or more of the following benefits to qualify:

• Income support
• Income based jobseeker's allowance
• Income related employment and support allowance
• Housing benefit
• Universal credit
• Child tax credit
• Working tax credits
• Pension credit guaranteed
• Pension credit savings credit

Eligible households in England and Wales don't have to apply for the discount, although some in Scotland do.

Scottish residents should check with their energy supplier directly to see if they qualify for the discount.

British Gas energy grant

The British Gas Energy Support Fund opened on October 2 and is accepting applications from customers struggling to pay their bills.

Any British Gas customer is eligible to apply and could receive up to £1,500.

You have to meet the following criteria though:

• live in England, Wales or Scotland
• have not received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust in the last 12 months
• can have a credit or prepayment meter with a previous outstanding debt

You will also have to hand over proof of income and your household outgoings will be used to determine whether you are in or at risk of fuel poverty.

You can find information on the grant on the British Gas website.

Plus here's the full list of grants being offered by energy firms this winter.

Household Support Fund

The Household Support Fund is worth £842million and has been shared between councils in England.

They are then deciding how to distribute their share of the fund, which means what you can get varies depending on where you live.

In most cases, support is offered to those on low incomes or benefits.

Either way, you will need to apply through your local council, which you can find by using the Government's council locator tool.

Some households have received vouchers to help pay for energy bills while other local authorities have transferred money directly into residents' bank accounts.

The latest batch of funding has to be allocated by councils by March 31, 2024.

Debt help

If you're concerned about debt, don't bury your head in the sand.

Citizens Advice says it's important to work out a budget and keep an eye on your bank balance.

Try and pay off more than the minimum on credit cards each month, and pay your most expensive credit card first.

If you've got several debts and can't pay them all, it's important to prioritise.

Your rent, mortgage, council tax and energy bills should be paid first because the consequences can be more serious if you don't pay.

Groups like Citizens Advice, StepChange and National Debtline can help you manage your debt and negotiate with your creditors.

You should always have a look at what free options are available for managing debt before you turn to a private firm for support.

There's also a specific government scheme to help manage debt called Breathing Space, which gives you the right to legal protection from creditors for up to 60 days.

The FCA said consumers can get free and impartial advice from the MoneyHelper website or by telephone on 0800 138 7777.

How to get support

Becci found help through her TSB banking app, which put her in touch with Lightning Reach, an organisation which helps people in financial hardship access support.

Nicola Bannister, financial support director at TSB, shared her tips if you find yourself struggling with finances.

Contact your bank: Speaking to your bank does not affect your credit rating and can be the first step to finding a better solution and getting financial help. 

Check for unclaimed grants: Lightning Reach and other benefit calculators can make sure you’re not missing out on money you’re entitled to.

Set your budget: Rising bills and prices mean it’s important to know how much money is coming in and going out, so you don’t overspend. 

Look for where you can make savings: Use your banking app to cancel outgoings like Direct Debits and subscriptions you no longer need.

Don’t delay: If you are worried it’s best to take action as soon as you can, rather than allowing the situation to get worse. Organisations like StepChange, Money Helper, the National Debtline or Citizens Advice can all provide free advice if you are struggling with debts.

You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.

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