Worried about money? We might be able to help

If you’re worried about money or feel like you’re just about managing, you’re not alone.

A lot of us are finding it harder to make ends meet lately. More and more engineers are telling us they’re worried about covering everyday costs and planning ahead.

Here are some tools you can use right now to take control of your money.

1. Check if you’re missing out on benefits

Are you missing out on help you’re entitled to?

If you’re in the UK, use the InBest Benefits Calculator to see if you’re eligible for any benefits.

It’s a set of six simple questions that will instantly tell you which benefits you may be able to get.

2. Explore these free financial tools

Our Financial Wellbeing Hub is designed to help you take greater control of your money and future.

You’ll find practical guidance and tools on topics such as:

Budgeting
Managing debt
Claiming tax relief
Saving and investing
Reducing financial stress

Visit the Financial Wellbeing Hub

3. Check if you could get financial support from Foothold

We’re a charity that has been here for engineers and their families since 1890. We offer financial support to engineers around the world who meet our criteria.

To make the best use of our limited funding and to support as many engineers as we can, we assess each application against our eligibility criteria.

We consider your household income and savings and use the Minimum Income Standard published annually by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for guidance.

If you have savings set aside for an essential future expense such as home repairs or retirement, don’t let that stop you from contacting us – we’ll always take this into consideration.

Check your eligibility here

4. Apply for support from Foothold

If you meet the eligibility criteria above, here’s how to apply for financial support.

Fill in our simple enquiry form. One of our Grant Assessors will be in touch with you.
If needed, our Grant Assessors will ask you for more information about your situation and needs.
Once your case has been reviewed, we’ll let you know by email whether your application has been successful or not.

Depending on your location, after you apply, we’ll also send you a My Money Checker letter – whether we can offer you financial support or not.

My Money Checker logo

What is My Money Checker and how to use it

My Money Checker is a personalised letter that helps you discover benefits, savings and support you might not be aware of. It’s a helpful starting point to look at ways to boost your income or cut costs.

Many people are surprised to find out there are benefits or services they haven’t claimed yet. We want to help you spot those opportunities and take your next step with confidence.

We’re currently able to offer this service to members of the engineering community who apply to us for financial support and live in the UK, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Canada, Spain and South Africa, and we’re working to expand it to more countries.

My Money Checker includes:

A summary of statutory support you may be eligible for, such as government benefits. (If we’re able to offer you financial support, you will be expected to apply for these benefits.)
Information about other help available, for example, local council schemes, or utility company savings schemes.
Cost-saving ideas and practical tips.
Details of local services, like food banks, benefits advice, or community hubs.

The letter shows you which benefits you’re likely to be eligible for and which ones we strongly recommend you apply for, using a simple traffic light system. We can help you to access the options outlined, if needed.

What our community says about My Money Checker

Thank you for the My Money Checker letter. I’ve had a look through it and there were a couple of things I didn’t already know about, so I’m going to have a closer look at those in the coming days.