Single parent support group Gingerbread has joined up with RBS to launch a new online guide that
aims to help families save money.
Gingerbread expects calls to its Single Parent Helpline to peak in January as post-Christmas bills
combine with the recent VAT increase to make things tougher for those least able to cope.
Their new ‘Getting Connected’ service aims to show how single parents can use the Internet to save
money and manage their finances – from shopping online to get better bargains, to using online
banking to pay bills more easily. The new guide is the result of a partnership between RBS and
Gingerbread, as part of the bank’s MoneySense financial education scheme.
Fiona Weir, Chief Executive of Gingerbread, said: “Calls to our helpline will surge this New Year
as worried single parents struggle to cope with January’s bills. This month’s VAT rise will make it
tougher still, with families estimated to lose hundreds of pounds a year as result of the hike. We
have developed the Getting Connected guide so that more single parents can use the internet to try
to stay on top of their finances and save wherever they can. The full guide is packed with enough
advice to turn even a complete novice into a savvy surfer.”
Around half of the calls currently taken by Gingerbread’s helpline (0808 802 0925) are about money
worries. The group says that by making the most of what’s available online, single parents can save
vital pounds.
