Help during the recession

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

The CAB is a national charity that provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities, including benefits, employment, tax and debt. To find out more visit www.adviceguide.org.uk (opens in a new window), call 0844 7010101 for telephone advice or to book an appointment at a local office, or go to a 'drop in' session at the following locations (no need to book):

• The Cornerstone, 36 Church Street, Ashbourne, DE6 1AE - Monday 10am - 1pm

• The Agricultural Business Centre, Agricultural Way, Bakewell, DE45 1AH - Monday 9.30am - 2pm

• Mid Derbyshire CAB, 29 Bank Road, Matlock, DE4 3NF - Monday and Tuesday 10am - 2pm

Welfare Rights

Derbyshire County Council's Welfare Rights Team provides advice on the benefits you may be entitled to and how to claim them.

To find out more visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/Social_health/welfare_rights/ (opens in a new window) or call the Benefits Helpline on 0845 1202985 between 11am - 4.30pm (Monday to Friday). 

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus is part of the Department for Work and Pensions. It provides help and guidance on jobs and training for people who can work, and financial help for those who cannot. Jobcentre Plus also provides a range of services for employers such as advertising vacancies and a recruitment support service (including grants for eligible employees). To find out more visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk (opens in a new window), call 01629 773000 or go to the Jobcentre Plus office at 2 Lime Grove Walk, Matlock, DE4 3FD between 9am and 5pm (Monday to Friday).

Real Help for the East Midlands

The Government has produced a document detailing the help that is available to families and businesses affected by the recession. To find out more visit www.realhelpnow.gov.uk (opens in a new window)

Business Link

Business Link East Midlands provides access to a wide range of free information, advice and support needed to start, maintain and grow a business, including advice and tips on how to cope with the effects of the recession.  To find out more visit www.businesslinkeastmidlands.co.uk (opens in a new window) or call 0845 0586644 for telephone advice or to book an appointment with a local advisor.

Peak Directions

This is a ‘signposting’ website with descriptions and links to a wide range of websites that provide support and information to help small businesses and social enterprises in the Peak District area.  To find out more visit www.peakdirections.co.uk (opens in a new window).

Derbyshire Dales District Council

The District Council can provide specific assistance in the following matters:

• A FREE debt advice service for residents – Based at the Citizens' Advice Bureau in Bank Road, Matlock the new service tackles issues such as mortgage repayments and is helping residents with advice on budgeting, savings, pensions and borrowing. The Citizens' Advice Bureau is at 29 Bank Road, Matlock DE4 3NF Tel: 01629 57482

• If you are on a low or fixed income you may be entitled to get help with your rent or council tax bills by claiming Housing or Council Tax Benefit. For more help in making a claim please contact the District Council’s Benefits Section on 01629 761188 or e-mail benefits@derbyshiredales.gov.uk or visit the Benefits Derbyshire Dales Council Tax, Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance webpage for more information.

• The District Council offers a comprehensive housing advice service, and if you have any concerns about becoming homeless visit the Housing and Homelessness webpage for more information.

• Business Rates is a national tax collected from all occupiers or owners of non-domestic properties. In the current economic climate we are encouraging businesses to claim small business rate relief – visit the: Reliefs from Business Rates webpage for more information.

• The District Council runs the Agricultural Business Centre (ABC) in Bakewell  - this is the hub for the rural community in the Peak District. The ABC not only hosts a livestock market, it is also a conference centre, the host for a health clinic, and for land management advice. It is also the home for the Council for Voluntary Service, business advice, a local estate agent, and a monthly farmers market. For more information visit the following webpage Bakewell ABC Celebrates 10 Years in Style (opens in a new window).

• How to Do Business with the Council: This guide is for businesses thinking of quoting or tendering for contracts with Derbyshire Dales District Council. The guide is available to download from Related Documents below.

• Source Derbyshire is a website with details of contracts available with Derbyshire Dales District Council and other local authorities- www.sourcederbyshire.co.uk (opens in a new window)

In addition to providing the above assistance, the District Council has also helped local residents and businesses in the following ways:

• Where appropriate we buy from local firms. For example, the affordable housing development currently being constructed on Bakewell Road in Matlock has led to around £500,000 being pumped back into the local economy.

• We have brought forward an additional £1m this year to help the local economy during the recession by bringing forward improvements to public conveniences and other council properties.

• We are investing £12.3m over the next two years in a new leisure centre on the outskirts of Matlock. As well as a brand new swimming pool, gym and sports hall for local people, the centre is regenerating a brownfield site and will help promote tourism in the Dales.

• We have frozen car park charges for a year. Local residents will continue to enjoy FREE car parking before 11 am and after 4 pm every day.

• We promote tourism in the Dales, which contributes £243 million and 5,440 jobs to the local economy. For more information visit the following webpage Bookings Good for Derbyshire Dales Holiday Season (opens in a new window).

• We facilitated the Cawdor Quarry redevelopment in Matlock (a new Sainsbury's superstore, town centre relief road and new town centre car park).

• We have supported the recently opened LEVEL (Live EVEnt Link) Centre at Rowsley, which provides arts and media facilities for learning disabled people and rural creative businesses.

• Providing CCTV in our market towns, keeping the majority of our roads litter free and supporting residents to recycle and compost waste enables the District Council to ensure that the area remains attractive for investment, tourism and trade.

• We support the Market Towns Initiative, which runs local business advice and promotion projects.

• We have doubled our spending on affordable housing to £1.6m this year. Since 2002, we have enabled 685 new affordable homes For more information visit the following webpage Homing in on a Boost for Local Business (opens in a new window).

• We have put in place arrangements to pay invoices generally within 14 days of receipt.

Local Strategic Partnership

The Derbyshire Dales and High Peak Local Strategic Partnership has also produced a summary of partner activity in the area to help tackle the effects of the recession.  Visit the LSP webpage using the link below.