Benefits Take-Up

I would also like to remind you that your local Citizens Advice Bureau is on hand in Newton Abbot, Teignmouth and Dawlish open to everyone, irrespective to where you live. They give free advice but a donation is always acceptable.

The CAB do visit people who are home-bound.

Another help is the new arrangement of Credit Unions. Teign Reach Provides financial Services in Teignbridge and they are part of Plough & Share Credit Union Ltd. I noticed a lot of these credit unions were used in the smaller communities I visited around Beacon and Poughkeepsie areas north of New York, along the Hudson River.
People are asked to save regularly for 12 weeks. This enables applying for a loan three times your savings. The interest rate is 1% on the reducing balance whatever the size of the loan. (APR 12.68%)
More information here about Teign Reach.