Living Skills

Benefits

The benefits available to a person are complex as it depends on many factors and changes regularly. You are best to seek advice from:

Contact Jobcentre Plus: How to contact Jobcentre Plus - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Benefits - Citizens Advice

Mentors may well need to initially make calls or enquiries on your mentees behalf, being aware of not taking over though and ensure they are a part of the process. Mentors are supporting and encouraging to become independent and be able to have these skills for themselves.

It may be necessary to go to initial interviews or at least accompany them to the interview. Remember for some just sorting out the bus to catch can be overwhelming. It may be an unspoken barrier.

Budgeting and debt

When budgeting money, the most important aspect is to work out what you need to spend i.e. your outgoings; pay them as soon as you are paid, the remainder is what you have left to spend on non-essentials.

It is always a good idea to put a little away for emergencies if it is possible. The following sections outline how to look at this.

In TOOLKIT there is a sheet that is a useful way to look at where all the money goes and to prioritise what must be paid for.

Gas and Electricity:

Quarterly bill - you receive a bill every three months. This method is the hardest to budget.
Direct debit - The amount taken is based on your annual energy consumption divided into twelve equal payments. If you pay for your energy by direct debit, you may be entitled to a discount. Cheapest way to pay but you need a bank account.
Prepayment meter - A prepayment meter allows you to pay as you go for gas and electricity. You pay using a token, key or smart card, which you charge up at local stores. Prepayment meters can be a useful way to budget for energy. However, they are usually more expensive than other payment methods. Contact your local gas or electric board to have these installed.
If you are on a low income or considered to be vulnerable, you may be entitled to a rebate on your electricity bill, check on:
Help with your energy bills: If you're on benefits or have a low income - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Some ideas for using less gas and electricity:
only fill the kettle with the water you need rather than boil a full one when you don’t need it
toasters use much less fuel than the grill or the cooker
when cooking vegetables, use only a little water, put on the lid and turn the heat down as soon as they boil
only turn the cooker on when you are ready to use it
when you use the cooker, plan ahead and cook food for several meals in one go.
don’t leave electrical equipment on standby
switch off mobile phone charger when not in use
see how many other ideas they can come up with.
For more information about how to use less energy and cut your fuel bills, go to the Energy Saving Trust website at: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk .

Water

The way water is paid for will vary according to the area you live in. To find out which water company supplies your area, go to the Consumer Council for Water's website at: https://www.ccw.org.uk/advice-and-support/households/

Rent/council tax or service charges

They are best paid on a weekly rate if you can. To see if you are eligible for reductions and exclusions from these, including housing benefit go to: Citizens Advice

Food

Work out what you spend on food and establish a budget. The flexible area of the budget is food, if there is not enough money left over it is usually the food budget that is cut, for this reason it is a good idea to buy at least some of your food when you’re paid.

Look out for supermarkets run food/saver stamp schemes.

Telephones and mobile

Worth checking the mentee is on the best and most affordable tariff possible.

Television

If you have one of these then you will need a TV licence. TV Licensing payment card gives you the flexibility to pay for a licence weekly and fortnightly, or monthly, from around £6.50.

To find out details go to Ways To Pay For A TV Licence - TV Licensing ™

Bank accounts

Having a back account or building society account has become more important in life today.

There are several types of account. You can get a good overview of these and more general information from Banking - Citizens Advice

To open a bank account, you usually have to fill in an application form. Often, you can do this in a branch or online, and sometimes you can also do this over the phone.

You will have to provide proof of your identity including your full name, date of birth and address. You usually have to show the bank two separate documents that prove who you are, for example, your passport, and where you live, for example, a recent bill.

If you don't have any of the documents that the bank wants, they should accept a letter from a responsible person who knows you, such as a GP, teacher, social worker or probation officer.

Cooking and food shopping

Much of this section will depend on your confidence and skills in the kitchen! Teaching basic healthy cooking skills, so that your mentee can provide for themselves, and eat well will impact on their general well-being.

If you are comfortable cooking and have access to a kitchen it can be a great activity to do with your mentee. Cooking from scratch will increase their ability to make their money go further. There are a few basic recipes to try at the end of this section.

The cheapest way to shop is to have a meal plan for the week and to make your shopping list from that. Some supermarkets e.g. Tesco and Sainsbury will create a budget meal plan, with recipes and a shopping list online for you. They are for 4 people, but you can scale it down.

Savvy cooking ideas

Cook up a larger portion of minced meat than you need. You can then portion it into freezer bags or containers to be defrosted on a night when you’re in a hurry. Then you know that your ‘quick’ meal is still nutritious! Don’t forget to label the food with what it is and the date.
Use the fruit and vegetables likely to go bad first.
If you turn the oven on bake a few items not just one. Cooked jacket potatoes, for example, can be kept in the fridge and then scooped out, a little cheese and seasoning added, re-stuffed into the jackets then grilled for a tasty lunch.
If you are using meat (e.g. mince) make it go further by adding beans (kidney or baked) or vegetables, this is also a healthier option.

Savvy shopping

What’s your mentees nearest shop? Do they have access to a supermarket? It is usually cheaper to shop at the supermarket.

Choose the shops you use, e.g. markets and main chain stores will be cheaper than corner shops
Look out for reductions and try not to buy fresh foods that are 'out of season.' For example, Brussel sprouts in the summer are more expensive in the summer whilst strawberries are more costly in the winter for example.
Fruit and vegetables are obviously cheaper from a market if you have one near by. It is useful to get to know one stall holder you are more likely to get the freshest produce.

10 shopping tips

Prepare a shopping list based on your week’s menu plan (it will cut down on impulse buying and falling in to the ‘sales traps’ in supermarkets). Know what you have in stock before you go shopping.
Get to know the layout of the shop you regularly use; this will also cut down on buying things you do not need. If you don’t find something in an aisle don’t go down it!
Larger items are more economical, e.g. a large tin of ‘own brand’ baked beans is often cheaper than a small tin of a well-known brand.
Look for genuine special offers and ‘out-of-date’ goods (always check the date on these), there is a ‘sell-by-date’ and a ‘use-by-date,’ the latter is the important one. Most supermarkets have bacon, cheese or cold meat ends that are much cheaper.
Buy a store’s own brand or their economical label.
Avoid ready meals - they are expensive and not necessarily healthy. If you are using them try to add extra vegetables to increase the nutritional value.
Select by hand all your fresh fruit and vegetables (buy some that are slightly under-ripe so that they will last the week). You may find your local street market has fruit and vegetables at competitive prices.
Shop weekly and try to shop the same day each week. This will reduce wastage on time and money. Also try not to shop when you’re hungry.
Make sure you put money aside for food; some supermarkets sell food stamps; these can be a useful way of budgeting your money.
Add something to your store cupboard each week (see below).

Your emergency store cupboard

Aim to buy one or two store cupboard items a week to keep in case of an emergency. This will mean that you can always cook a meal in an emergency.

Many convenience foods are not ‘junk’ foods. Tinned foods such as baked beans, tomatoes, fruit and vegetables, corned beef and tinned fish are nourishing and good value for money. They can make useful store cupboard items. Pasta, rice and instant potato can be combined with these to make a meal.

Here are some suggestions on what items are useful:

Breakfast cereal
Pasta
Rice
Instant potato
Noodles
Tins of tuna, sardines, pilchards, cold meat
Tins of baked beans or red kidney beans
Dried lentils (to thicken soups, stews)
Plain flour
Self-rising flour
Tins of vegetables e.g. tomatoes, sweetcorn
Tins of fruits preferably in natural juice
Box of UHT semi-skimmed milk
Dried fruits such as raisins
Vegetable oil
Tomato based pasta sauce
Baking powder
Stock cubes
Herbs/spices, Pesto

10 Tips for food safety

Food safety or hygiene is ensuring that the preparation, handling and storage of food are clean. Poor food hygiene can result in illness, food contamination, wastage and possibly infestation by flies, mice etc.

Below are a few tips to ensure that you don’t suffer from these.

Take chilled and frozen food home quickly - then put it in the freezer
Prepare and store raw and cooked food separately
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold; don’t just leave them standing around.
Check ‘Use-by’ dates; Use within the recommended period
Wash hands thoroughly before preparing food, after going to the toilet and after handling pets
Eggs: Do not eat food containing uncooked eggs; Keep eggs in the fridge
Ensure food is thoroughly defrosted before cooking it, unless instructions say otherwise. If you reheat, make sure it is piping hot.
Keep your kitchen clean
Wash worktop and utensils between handling food to cook and food that has been cooked.
Keep pets away from food, dishes and worktops

10 tips to best use your fridge

Keep your fridge cold
Keep the coldest part of your fridge at 0-5°C as bacteria can grow and multiply if they warm up. You can check the temperature with a fridge thermometer
Don’t overload your fridge as this blocks the air circulation which keeps foods cold
Always keep raw meat, poultry and fish at the bottom of the fridge to stop them dripping on or touching other foods
Do not store opened cans in the fridge
Empty the contents into a bowl and cover, otherwise it may contaminate the food.
Regularly defrost and clean your fridge
Clean your fridge at least once a week, using a non-perfumed cleaner so that the food doesn’t pick up the smell.
Do not leave the fridge door open longer than you need to.
When you put fresh food in the fridge, put it behind any food already in there to reduce wastage through having to throw 'old' food away.

Healthy diet

It is important where feasible to eat meals together; to sit down and make it a proper eating ‘event’. That includes breakfast. We are what we eat is a classic phrase that is very true. Your mentee will cope a lot better if they are having three balanced meals a day.

The Eatwell Guide (www.nhs.uk) highlights the different types of food that make up our diet and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have a well-balanced and healthy diet. It's a good idea to try to get this balance right every day, but you don't need to do it at every meal. And you might find it easier to get the balance right over a longer period, say a week. Try to choose options that are lower in salt when you can.

Eating healthily is about eating the right amount of food for your energy needs. In England, most adults are either overweight or obese. This means many of us are eating more than we need and should eat and drink fewer calories in order to lose weight.

Plenty of fruit and vegetables
You need to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. To get the most benefit out of your 5 A DAY, your five portions should include a variety of fruit and vegetables. This is because different fruits and vegetables contain different combinations of fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
Plenty of potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy foods
Choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can or eat potatoes with their skins on for more fibre.
Some milk and dairy foods
Go for lower-fat milk and dairy foods. These are healthier options to help you get enough protein and calcium. Our bodies need protein to work properly and to grow or repair themselves. Calcium helps to keep our bones strong. The calcium in dairy foods is particularly good for us because our bodies absorb it easily.
Some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein These are important sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, and form part of a healthy balanced diet.
Just a small amount of foods and drinks that are high in fat or sugar Cut down on fat and sugar by eating fewer sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drinking fewer sugary soft drinks.

Meal structure

Don’t forget to wake up to breakfast!

Breakfast helps you get through the day because it gives you the energy to get going. It is one of the most important meals of the day. Look after your body and give it the fuel to get going. People that don’t have breakfast are usually heavier as they are more likely to snack mid-morning on a high sugar /fat content food.

Breakfast ideas:

Cereals with milk.
Go for ones that aren’t sugar coated. Try sliced banana or raisins /dried apricots instead of sugar.
Toasts crumpets and types of bread: In a hurry - eat them on the go it’s better to start the day with something! Try wholemeal, wholegrain or high fibre white varieties. Butter /margarine should be low fat and spread thinly. Try a banana as well as jam / marmalade. Peanut butter has protein!
Drinks: Try to include milk, fruit juices or water for breakfast.

A bit of what you fancy – healthy snacking!

There’s a direct link between eating high-sugar snacks and energy slumps. That chocolate bar will give you a ‘sugar high’ for a short time – but after a while, blood sugar levels can drop, leaving you tired, irritable and feeling low. If your blood sugar keeps fluctuating, it can also interfere with your stress levels.

Try these healthy but delicious snacks in place of your usual sugary treats and see the benefits to your mood – and your waistline!

A banana gives you a sustained energy boost and is packed with vitamins and mood boosting tryptophan to keep you feeling good for longer.
Dip a carrot or other crudités into a tub of dip, like low-fat houmous.
An apple and a handful of nuts is a nutritionally balanced snack and fills you up between meals.
If you can’t resist sweet things, try mango – it’s sweet but nutritious, making it an ideal snack. You can even buy it in packs at the supermarket ready-sliced.
Blueberries are a so-called ‘superfood’ – low in sugar and high in antioxidants, try them mixed with low fat yoghurt for a tasty snack.

Managing your home

Mentees will be in different housing situations. Whilst some are managing a home, others are in a parental home. However, ensuring they have basic skills to maintain a home/room is a good skill to master for life.

An untidy home or room can leave you feeling unfocused and in a muddle. Keeping your room or home clean is not only good for the appearance, but for your physical and mental health as well.

Here are a few benefits:

It burns calories (as long as you put some effort in!)
It reduces stress
A clean clutter-free room is not only pleasing, but the process itself can reduce anxiety levels. In 2008, an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine stated that twenty minutes of activity—including housework—cuts anxiety and stress by as much as 20 percent. Think of the time and stress involved in hunting for lost keys in a chaotic room.
It helps your allergies - frequently vacuuming, washing your sheets and curtains, cleaning out your sink and refrigerator, and thoroughly dusting your furniture are among the best ways to control your allergies.
It improves concentration - while our ability to multitask is now better than ever, a cluttered, messy room/home can sidetrack even the most focused people.
Without endless stacks of papers, piled up laundry and an overflowing junk drawer you will be better able to concentrate on the task at hand.
Having a clean workspace also allows you to better prioritize, because you are able to see what’s important without being bogged down by all the clutter surrounding you.
Just a little cleaning, will enable you to accomplish more in less time, you will quickly feel more optimistic and in control of your surroundings.
It gives you an anger outlet - We all need to let off steam sometimes, but instead of snapping at your friend, take it out on the dust.
Cleaning is a productive way to let go of anger and frustration, which is why some people reach for a vacuum after a long day at work or a heated argument. Dealing with your anger in this way prevents you from saying or doing things you shouldn’t—it’s a relationship lifesaver.

Having a clean space allows you to better prioritize, because you are able to see what’s important without being bogged down by all the clutter surrounding you.

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

Bedroom:

Make your bed every morning. A rumpled bed will make even the cleanest rooms look cluttered.
Pick up all clothing. Clean stuff gets put away; dirty stuff goes in the laundry basket.
Put away other items on the surfaces. Take any crockery and cutlery to the kitchen sink and wash it up.

Bathroom:

Wipe the sink basin clean after you’ve used.
Buff water spots from mirror and tap.
Wipe the toilet seat & rim with a bathroom cleaner (use a different cloth to the sink).
Spray the shower, bath and shower door/curtain with a bathroom cleaner and wipe off.
Replace any dirty towels or flannels with clean ones (usually weekly).

Kitchen:

Empty the dishwasher if it’s full or wash the crockery/cutlery and pans.
Empty the sink of any dirty dishes and give the sink a quick scrub.
Spray and wipe down counters and appliance fronts.
Gather any clutter into a neat pile to deal with later in the day.
Use a damp cloth to wipe up any splatters on the floor (use a different cloth for the floor and the work tops/dishes).
Put any dirty dish cloths and tea-towels in the wash and put out clean ones. If you have the time, give the floor a quick sweep.

Living and/or Family Room:

Straighten all pillows and blankets on the sofa, which is one of the room’s major focal points.
Neaten magazines, books, games and DVDs that are sitting out.
Wipe away any obvious crumbs and fingerprints from tabletops.
Use a carpet sweeper or hand vacuum to pick up any bits from floor.

IT Skills

Computer access

Do not assume that your mentee has access to a computer. Check this out first. If there is no computer at home these can be accessed at:

Libraries

You normally need to be registered with the library first to use this for free.

You need to beware that some libraries have restrictions for young people e.g. “We actively encourage young people to use our internet services. Young people aged under fifteen need to get the written agreement from their parent or carer first. We have a simple form for them to use.”

Schools and colleges

You will need to enquire at specific venues for their access policy.

Job centres

You will need to enquire at a specific venue about their access policy. From 19 October 2012 all claimants applying for Jobseekers Allowance are expected to look for work online, using the new Find a job - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), an online system accessible from the government portal, either at their local Jobcentre or from their home computer . Those jobseekers that do not possess the necessary computer skills will be offered IT training .

Guide to setting up e-mail accounts

You can use Google mail for free. Just follow the instructions online to set up Your Google Account. Type Google mail in the search bar to access Google mail.

Make sure the email address you choose isn’t a cutesy personal email address. Beerlover69@hotmail.comit isn’t likely to be taken seriously when applying for jobs. This is also true of the email address you have added to your CV as a point of contact.

Using the web

If you as a mentor are not comfortable or don’t have the time to do this then contact the local jobcentre they should provide IT training. If your mentee is under 17 years old you could try approaching their local college/school.