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Guidance from Citizens Advice

I’ve found myself in a really difficult financial situation and I don’t know where to turn. I was made redundant recently and now I'm finding it hard to keep up with my bills and am getting into debt - what can I do?

Money problems can feel overwhelming, but the most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to face this alone. We know that times are incredibly tough for lots of people right now, and Citizens Advice is here to help you find a way forward.

Make sure you’ve been paid everything you’re entitled to by your former employer. You can check what your rights are on the Citizens Advice website.

If you’re finding it difficult to stay on top of bills, free budgeting tools like the one on the MoneyHelper website can help you understand what money you have coming in and going out each month, and where you might be able to cut costs.

Before you start, try to find your most recent bank statements, payslips, debit and credit card statements or bills, and receipts for things you usually pay for in cash. Make sure you include all your expenses, for example money you spend on your partner or family.

If your budget just doesn’t add up and you need help to afford essentials like bills and food, you can find out how to get help with your bills as well as what cost of living support is available on the Citizens Advice website.

Please don’t ignore bills or letters about money that you owe. You should collect and organise all debt-related documents to create a comprehensive list of all your debts. It might feel overwhelming when you see everything written down - but try not to worry, the important thing is that you're taking action to sort things out.

If you’re behind on household bills, prioritise paying your rent or mortgage, plus energy bills and Council Tax first. Not paying these bills has the most serious consequences. Take a look at the Citizens Advice website for more information about what bills to prioritise and how to manage debts. You can then speak to the organisations you owe money to – they might let you pay smaller amounts or take a break from payments.

For other types of debt like credit cards or loans, gather all the information on what you owe, create a budget, and contact your creditors to set up an affordable repayment plan. This might seem scary, but it’s an important first step.

Lots of people miss out on benefits they’re entitled to, so it’s worth checking what you can get on the Citizens Advice website. Claiming benefits might also let you get access to other financial help like cost of living payments and discounts on energy and transport.

Whatever your situation, you don’t have to face this alone - get in touch with a free support service like us at Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire. Our advisers can help to check if you’re eligible for any benefits or financial support, and explore all the options for dealing with your debts.

If you need help with managing debt, please contact Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire on 0808 2787942.

Alternatively, you can email your query to: outreach@citizensadvicemidlincs.org.uk or attend one of our face to face drop in sessions. For information about our service, drop in opening times and how we can help you, please take a look at our website www.camidlincs.org.uk

Friendly advice for those
affected by Dementia

Hi Rachael, There is a lot in the media at the moment about dementia. Rather than a recipe, this month I wanted to share my experience in case that may help someone else.

Firstly, my wife of 36 years died four years ago, come April. She was 19 (!) years older than me, but we had been happily married for most of those 36 years. I put it like this because, whilst, for the first 15 or so years of marriage we NEVER had an argument, there were several later in the marriage.

The thing was, I never knew why, until after she had died. There is a sign of dementia that is not mentioned, and this is one point I want to make. You hear about people visiting their spouse in care and coming out crying. But it seems that the cause of this is not mentioned or investigated.

It is because dementia affects a certain part of the brain (no, I am not a doctor) which affects empathy – thinking how others feel. So very hurtful words come out when, without dementia, they would not have been said. For some years before dementia was diagnosed, my wife was like that. From a lovely, elegant (one time at Christmas she was called ‘Exquisite’ by a stranger) woman who had thoughts for all, she changed gradually and would say things without thinking. Sometimes the comments were hurtful to me and others and other times they were funny. But it was clear she was talking without thinking what the words meant or how they would be felt.

I would just like your readers to look out for a change in personality such that a lack of empathy is present when it was not there before.

The other point I would like to mention was grief. My wife and I did not have any children between us, but she did have a son from a previous marriage. Given the age difference between us, he is only 3 years younger than me and he lives in Hertfordshire.

Another point is that we moved to Kirton on a Monday and on that Thursday night, three nights after moving in, she was taken to hospital and died there three weeks later. That meant that the house and community were all new to me. Who is there to talk to?

So, I let friends from other areas know what was happening by email. Then I expanded it and here is the bit I want to say, I sent it BCC – blind carbon copy – to all. This meant that I could talk to everyone and they could talk to me, but I would not get someone commenting on someone else’s comment.

For me, this worked. It allowed me to put my feelings down on an electronic piece of paper, and I talked through my grief. It allowed me to tell everyone how I was feeling, what I was doing in my ‘new’ house, and how I was getting on at work. All without being judged. In fact, that daily BCC email is still going out for immediate friends and relatives. After my wife’s funeral I gave recipients the option of remaining in the emails – opt in, not opt out.

The reason for that was the opt in means that they must have read the email. If they were not reading them, then they would not know to opt in and would not receive them. It meant that they could drop out of the emails with no request to do so. Better for all, I thought.

So, in summary, I would urge people to watch out for a change in personality where empathy changes significantly, and if it does – I am not a medic – seek professional advice.

If the worst happens under any circumstances and a loved one dies and you haven’t immediate support, consider sending BCC emails to all. It worked for me; it may for you.

Thank you.

Barry

Freemasons’ charity backs UK’s first-of-a-kind baby bank with £60,000 donation

A Friday afternoon conversation has kick-started a unique service to improve the lives of families in south Lincolnshire.

And the ‘let’s do it’ moment of optimism has been backed by a donation of almost £60,000 from Freemasons’ charity the MCF, which will guarantee support for more than 500 families over three years.

The conversation was amongst Louise Buckingham and her team at Citizens’ Advice in Boston, which now operates the UK’s only combined Citizens Advice centre and Baby Bank. She said: “It was obvious what people coming to us needed, and we wanted to help, but we were worried about how to fund it – but one Friday afternoon we simply said ‘let’s just do it anyway’.”

That leap of faith has led to a service providing clothes, toys, prams and other babycare equipment for families with children up to the age of three – all supplied from a room stacked to the rafters with supplies. There’s even a stock of nappies. As Lousie explained: “Some of the stories we hear are harrowing. We support people who have to limit the number of times their baby is changed because they don’t always have the 75p necessary to buy a pack of Size 1 nappies from Lidl.”

Support and supplies continue to come from other sources. Individuals make donations of outgrown or unused items, the team uses cash donations to buy supplies, and staff at the Tattershall Recycling Centre rescue perfectly good items from going into landfill and pass them on for re-use.

Everything is stored in their office within Boston Borough Council. Louise points to a collection of prams and buggies that look like a shop showroom. “They’re all in perfectly good order, and we’ve checked them and cleaned them. We sometimes get things so new they still have their tags. They’ll all be a godsend to the families who take them,” she said.

They’re not able to re-use everything. Electrical goods are a ‘no’, as are child car safety seats, as they may have been in an accident or no longer meet safety requirements.

The team also provides collections of toiletries for mums going into hospital to have their babies. “Often they don’t have the basics,” she said, citing the example of a woman escaping domestic abuse. “A donation of £500 would mean we could buy as many as 50 sets.”

The team has also made its own safety video about how to make second-hand items fit for use, and has worked closely with the National Baby Bank Alliance, operating nationwide to develop national partnerships to support baby banks in helping more families.

The head of Lincolnshire’s 3,000 Freemasons Dave Wheeler said: “It’s only by talking to people like Louise and her team that you begin to realise the scale of the problem and the work going on to address it. Their commitment goes to show what can be achieved if a group of people has the courage to say ‘yes if…’ to something that’s never been done before.

“Freemasonry has been pleased to recognise the bravery of that commitment with a substantial donation that, alongside others, will help to sustain a service clearly of enormous value to people in Boston and North Kesteven.”

Boston Classic Car Club
Welding Workshop 2026

Boston Classic Car Club members enjoyed the fifth annual Welding Workshop on Saturday 21st February 2026.

This, much appreciated event, was held at the large garage at the home of John Simpson, the Chairman of the Club and addressed the practicalities of both welding and bodywork on cars. Once again Paul Chafer gave his time and experience to explain and demonstrate MIG, TIG, aluminium welding and plasma and those present were given the opportunity to try out each technique for themselves. Paul is a welder with a wealth of professional experience and delivers the information in a calm and unhurried manner allowing each person to go forward at their own pace.

Graham Lunn demonstrated the black art of lead loading as well as the techniques of removing bumps from a damaged car wing with the experienced and judicious use of the appropriate bodywork hammer. The owner of said wing was delighted with the outcome. The lead loading aspect of the demonstration was fascinating for all, showing, as it did, the benefits to be gained from repairing bodywork using the method rather than resorting to body filler on every occasion.

Mick Rollins spoke on how to make tools for creating the appropriate shape of bodywork without spending a large amount. Lateral thinking was to the forefront of his talk as well as the awareness of how easily shapes can be created with very little cost and not a lot of effort. Most members present appreciated his comments that, what is viewed as ‘scrap’ by one person, could become an essential and inexpensive tool for body repair by another.

The workshop has developed since it first ran five years ago to cover more elements and different techniques. Those present also greatly appreciated the drinks and refreshment supplied by Sandra Simpson during the day.