THE housing company that manages Wear Valley’s 4,500 council homes is launching a campaign to help tenants on low incomes manage their money.

The Dale and Valley Homes initiative called Pocket Sense aims to help tenants manage their cash, stay out of debt and make use of financial services.

People are offered an information pack containing easy-to-understand cards, explaining different financial topics such as saving, budgeting and opening a bank account.

Joanne Dunn, the company’s assistant director of housing operations, said: "Many of our customers have low incomes and, for them, good financial management is really important.

"A lot of them have never had a bank account, which makes it much harder to do many things that the rest of us take for granted.

"The options available for people on lower incomes, such as buying through catalogues or using doorstep money lenders, often mean they end up paying much more than they need to for basic items.

"We want to give our customers some basic advice on how to make the most of their money, how to maximise income, save for major expenses and avoid debt.

"The Pocket Sense pack has been developed in light of the recession and we hope it will make a difference for many of our customers."

Pocket Sense is backed up by a recently extended service provided to customers by Wear Valley Citizens’ Advice Bureau. The CAB will help any Dale & Valley customers who feels that their finances are getting out of control or who wants help coping with debts.

The campaign is being launched at a Tenants’ Conference being held at Auckland Castle on Thursday. (May 21) All Dale & Valley tenants have been invited along with representatives of other housing bodies, schools and young people’s agencies.

There will be five workshops throughout the day including sessions on young people and anti-social behaviour; financial inclusion and fuel poverty and home safety for the elderly.

The keynote speaker will be Mark Wagstaff, policy manager of the new national regulatory body the Tenants Services Authority.