Money Worries and Household Bills
If you are worrying about money, there are lots of ways that you can find help and support. On this page, we list some common areas that may cause money worries and where you can seek help.
Debts
If you are worrying about debt, it can be hard to know where to go. Take pressure off yourself and ask for free and confidential advice from a debt adviser. Seeking debt advice does not affect your credit score. Speaking to a debt adviser may help you feel less stressed and more in control of your life.
There is no obligation to follow their advice but support is free, fully regulated, and can help provide an objective opinion on your situation.
Debt advisers:
- are sympathetic and happy to talk to you about any debt problem whilst providing objective advice;
- will provide different ways to solve a problem, even if you have no spare money
- are able to see if you could benefit from a ‘debt breathing space‘ to give you time to take control of your money and provide a break from constant repayment requests
More information can be found online
Delays with Student Finance
If your Student Finance is delayed, we recommend that you first check the status of your Student Finance application. Normally, Student Finance is paid within 3-5 working days after Stage 2 enrolment.
It is worth knowing that the University will automatically notify Student Finance of your enrolment and attendance on the course. If you have completed Stage 2 enrolment and are still experiencing a delay with a Student Finance assessment, you can make an appointment with the Money Advice Team.
It is also a good idea to check your eligibility for a 0% authorised overdraft on a student bank account.
Outstanding course requirements and delays in payments.
At the start of term, Maintenance Loans are automatically released, after Stage 2 enrolment.
Certain specific courses require an applicant to meet the requirements for Occupational Health (OH) and/or a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Applicants can only complete Stage 2 enrolment after these specific outstanding requirements have been cleared.
If an applicant has completed all of their DBS or OH administration tasks and are awaiting a final update, which is causing a delay after the start of term to the maintenance loan payment, they can explore the potential option to have their loan released. This can be done by checking for an email from Admissions to confirm the academic conditions of their offer have been met and they are awaiting the final return of the DBS/OH.
Please note that the potential early release of funding does not apply to other outstanding entry requirements, such as providing qualification certificates. Loan payments are also dependent on the completion of the usual Student Finance assessment.
Universal Credit (UC)
Some students are eligible for Universal Credit (UC) while studying at university. If you are claiming UC, it is worth checking with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) directly for information on how your claim will change whilst studying at university.
The Maintenance Loan and if eligible, the Adult Dependants’ Grant impacts on UC.
You will have to submit all pages of your Student Finance entitlement letter to UC to allow them to recalculate your UC payments. Please note that you may receive an overpayment for the first month whilst UC are reassessing you as a student.
You might want to check the following with the DWP:
- That only the Student Finance Maintenance Loan and if eligible, the Adult Dependants’ Grant are being considered.
- If your Student Finance entitlement letter mentions that you are eligible for the Special Support Element and if UC are disregarding that part of your loan. For 2026/27, the Special Support Element is £4,582.
- That they calculate the UC during the months of the academic year that you are studying as a student, such as 8,9, 10,11 or 12 months.
- That a small amount of monthly disregard income has been considered.
The final amount of Maintenance Loan that is being considered will appear under ‘other income’ on a Universal Credit Statement.
Example (for guidance only)
- A Maintenance Loan at £12,345 could have a Special Support Element, which means the first £4,582 is not considered. This leaves £7,763 to be considered as ‘income’.
- If the term time course is over 9 months, then the total income of £7,763 is divided by 9 months. This results in a monthly loan income of £863 a month.
- DWP should then deduct a further £110 a month from this income, so the figure Universal Credit would count as income from educational grants to work out your entitlement would be £753.
Bank charges
If you are worried or concerned about bank charges, we have some useful tips for you online.
Council Tax Exemptions
Studying on a full-time programme can allow a student to be exempt from paying council tax. You can read about the guidance on eligibility and how to obtain a Council Tax Exemption Certificate here.
Mobile and broadband contracts
Many mobile phone and broadband contracts last 12–24 months. Once your contract ends, you may be able to save money by switching providers or negotiating a better deal with your current one.
Before renewing, check:
- Whether you have finished paying for your phone and can move to a cheaper SIM-only or airtime-only deal.
- Prices from different providers using comparison websites.
- If the deal includes annual price rises.
- Any notice periods, exit fees, or charges that apply when leaving your contract.
If you need a new phone, compare the cost of buying the handset separately alongside a SIM-only deal, as this can sometimes be cheaper than a bundled contract.
If you’re on a low income or receive certain benefits, you may also be eligible for discounted social tariffs for mobile or broadband services.
For more information and money-saving tips, visit:
- MoneyHelper
- Money Saving Expert
- Ofcom, which also provides advice if you’re struggling to pay your bill.
The Money Advice team offer virtual and telephone appointments, which can be booked 72 hours in advance. Appointments are for 30 minutes. If needed, a follow-up appointment will be arranged.
The team can offer guidance on all money-related matters including student funding, they can help with personal finances and provide advice on the Student Support Fund.
Utility bills
The Energy Price Cap
The Energy Price Cap sets a limit on the cost per energy unit used and a limit on the daily standing charge fee for connection to gas and electricity.
This rate limit is reviewed and then implemented every 3 months on 1 July, 1 October, 1 January and 1 April etc. meaning charges can potentially fall, rise or stay the same.
It is important to note this rate cap is per household and there is no maximum energy bill so if households use less, bills will be less and if more is used, people will pay more.
The cap applies to suppliers’ standard and default tariffs. If you’re on a fixed tariff, it won’t apply, even if the cap falls below the fixed tariff. It is worth shopping around for fixed rate deals lower than the current cap if you are on a default tariff. Always use at least 3 comparison sites which compare all suppliers and check for early exit fees. If you see a new deal, talk to your existing provider before you make a decision to switch.
Some comparison sites:
More information:
Student Bills – setting up, comparing and splitting
Save the Student has some great advice about setting up bills, comparing providers and importantly, how to split bills in a shared household. Bill splitting services can make it easier, but they can be costly and restrict the suppliers you could use.
Trust Fund Grants to help with energy debts
Most energy suppliers offer grants to help their customers with energy debts. All suppliers have their own criteria.
Water bills
To investigate ways to save on water usage and what to be aware of when considering a water meter explore these resources:
The United Utilities Trust Fund eligibility criteria and application form:
Possible energy savers
- Reflectors such as foil behind radiators.
- Consider the Money Saving Boiler Challenge for Combi Boilers to check if your ‘set up’ is at its most efficient.
- Avoid tumble dryers to save on energy use.
- Consider the costs of air fryers over ovens, especially for lower populated households.
- Shop around and check for household items via a range of sites such as Price Runner.
- Consider off peak night energy deals. This includes 10pm to 8am and some 11am to 2pm deals. Please note: the actual savings depend on your electrical energy usage patterns. Often a Smart Meter is required to gain deals.
Private rental costs
When looking to rent a property privately, it is important to take your time and really shop around. One of the main concerns for students is budgeting for a damage deposit and checking to see if the rental contract includes a summer retainer.
The Rental Rights Act 2026
This act has given private tenants extra protections, including restricting rent rises to once a year and limiting rent in advance of moving in, to a maximum of one month.
Shelter summarises the changes introduced in the Rental Rights Act 2026. Shelter also has information on the fees that letting agents and landlords can charge and those that have been outlawed.
Housing Benefit/Housing Element of Universal Credit
If you claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and DWP says you have limited capability for work, you may be entitled to claim help with rent. There are other limited circumstances in which students can claim benefits to help with rent. Visit the Shelter website for more information and advice.
TV Licence
Find out whether you need a TV Licence, as well as useful information and advice on the TV Licence website.
Car insurance and MOTs
With car insurance, it is important to get quotes from a number of providers using three or more price comparison websites. Remember that comparison sites do not always feature the same deals and insurers – in fact, a few insurers do not even appear on price comparison sites so it is worth checking with them directly. When you find a deal, contact your existing insurer and ask if they could match or even improve on the deal you have found.
Money Saving Expert has some general tips for reducing car insurance costs and the cost of MOTs.
Less experienced drivers
If you are a less experienced driver, car insurance can be expensive if you don’t shop around and do some research.
Young and less experienced drivers may be able to reduce potentially high insurance costs by considering a few suggestions from Money Saving Expert, for example a more experienced second driver.
Travel and placement costs
Petrol costs
If you are travelling by car on a regular basis, you can register on this petrol prices website to find the cheapest petrol stations in your area.
Car sharing and other information
Edge Hill has information on travel, including an option of car sharing with the benefit of reserved parking.
Train and bus travel costs
Many students incur high travel costs by regularly travelling to university and placements by train or bus. When you receive your Student Finance payment, it might be worth considering paying for a weekly or monthly season ticket to help reduce overall costs.
For regular rail travel, take a look at this calculator from National Rail to see the potential savings you could make.
You can also find some useful tips and advice from Money Saving Expert on how to make real savings on rail costs.
The Trainsplit app and website are dedicated to saving you money on your train tickets by using a technique called ‘ticket splitting’.
Claim back travel costs to placements
Certain courses have placements as an integral part of their course. Normally eligibility for help depends on the course type and if the distance of travel to the placement is greater than travelling to the University campus.
For NHS Health placements please visit the NHSBSA website to claim additional travel expenses.
Gambling worries
GamCare helps problem gamblers as well as their friends and families by working directly with problem gamblers, providing advice over the phone and online or through face-to-face counselling. GamCare also have an education and prevention team working to raise awareness and prevent problem gambling before it starts.
The best way for you to access the services is either through the Freephone helpline or through a live chat with an adviser. The live chat opens in a chat window which is totally private and secure. The adviser is a trained member of GamCare who will be able to give advice about gambling and may be able to help by putting you in touch with a local face-to-face counsellor.
Wellbeing support
The Mental Health & Wellbeing Team can support you with a variety of issues that may be impacting on your wellbeing.
