Change to advice-line hours

Please note that the hours we are able to offer advice by telephone have changed. We are now offering an early evening service on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

You can telephone us for advice on 07923 126 426 or 07923 126 430 each weekday. Lines are now open:

  • Monday, Tuesday & Thursday – 9 am to 7 pm
  • Wednesday – 9 am to 1 pm
  • Friday – 9 am to 5 pm

You can also get advice online. Full details of all our services can be found on our advice page.

Diversity and inclusion

Our Trustee Board have agreed unanimously to sign up to eight leadership principles as part of our commitment to improve diversity and inclusion within our charity.

These principles, set out by ACEVO, are part of the Racial Diversity in the Charity Sector report, which was produced in collaboration with the Institute of Fundraising. 

As a Trustee Board, we will:

  1. Acknowledge that there is a problem with racial diversity in the charity sector and commit to working to change that.
  2. Recognise the important role leaders have in creating change by modelling positive behaviour and taking action.
  3. Learn about racial bias and how it impacts leadership decisions.
  4. Commit to setting permanent and minimum targets for diversity that reflects the participants, donors, beneficiaries and the population of the area that my charity operates in.
  5. Commit to action and invest resources, where necessary, in order to improve racial diversity in my charity.
  6. View staff as the sum of many parts rather than a single entity and recruit to build a diverse group of talented people collectively working towards a shared vision.
  7. Recruit for potential, not perfection.
  8. Value lived experience, the ability to draw from one’s lived experience and to bring insights to an organisation that can develop its work.

Our Trustees are now working alongside representatives from our staff and volunteer team to identify actions that can be taken in furtherance of these principles. We will publish details on our website as the work progresses.

Tax credits deadline: 31 July 2020

If you are getting Tax Credits, you have just one week left to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about changes to your circumstances or income before the deadline on 31 July 2020.

If your circumstances have changed in the last year, or you have received a letter to reconfirm their income details, you must contact HMRC. Failure to respond by the deadline may mean you receive incorrect tax credits payments and you may end up having to pay money back.

If you have received an annual review pack or text, and have already made their declaration including confirming their income and circumstances, you don’t need to do anything else. However, you must contact HMRC straight away if you disagree with any of the information in the pack or letter or if you need to tell them about any changes.

You can get help and information on renewing tax credits in different ways:

  • On GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/manage-your-tax-credits. This lets you check the progress of your renewal and be reassured that it is being processed.
  • By using the webchat service – go to GOV.UK and search for ‘tax credits general enquiries’.
  • By tweeting @HMRCcustomers or visiting their Facebook page
  • By using the HMRC App, available via your phone’s app store
  • Using the online forum (click on Tax Credits and You)
  • By calling the tax credits helpline: 0345 300 3900

A word about scams

Customers should be aware that criminals could take advantage of tax credits renewals to text, email or phone the public, offering fake support. These scams mimic HMRC messages in an effort to look genuine. 

If someone texts, emails or calls claiming to be from HMRC, saying that a customer can renew a tax credits award or access financial help, and asks for credit card or bank details, it is likely to be a scam.

We are now open longer!

Our telephone advice lines are now open longer! You can now contact us for advice in a number of ways:

  • Check our self-help page for links to online information resources and details of other services in Coventry.
  • Ask us for advice at any time by using our online enquiry form.
  • Telephone us for advice on 07923 126 426 or 07923 126 430. Lines are open 9 am to 7 pm each weekday (except Wednesday afternoons when lines close at 1pm).
  • Chat with us using the ‘live chat’ feature on this website.
  • General (non-advice) enquiries can still be made via our main office number (024 7652 1100) or by email to info@covadvice.org.uk.

Advice service update

We are still here and working hard to make sure that our communities get all the help and support they need.

We are now providing advice and support in a number of ways.

  • Check our self-help page for links to online information resources and details of other services in Coventry.
  • Ask us for advice at any time by using our online enquiry form. Enquiries are picked up regularly during the day, so this can be a very convenient way of contacting us.
  • Telephone us for advice on 07923 126 426 or 07923 126 430. Lines are open 10 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 4 pm each weekday (except Wednesday afternoons when we are closed). There is a voicemail facility out of hours and an adviser will call you back.
  • Chat with us on our website. This feature is currently being piloted and will allow people who visit our website to chat directly to a member of our team. When the ‘live chat’ feature is not available, it will be possible to use the feature to request a call-back.
  • General (non-advice) enquiries can still be made via our main office number (024 7652 1100) or by email to info@covadvice.org.uk.

Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to ensure we continue to deliver an effective, high quality, service to all Coventry residents.

Please look after yourselves. We wish you and your families the very best of health, and a happy Easter.

How to get advice

You can now contact us for advice by sending a message online or by calling us.

You can use this form to send us an enquiry at any time.

You can also phone for advice on either 07923 126 426 or 07923 126 430. Our lines are open between 10 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 4 pm each weekday (except Wednesday afternoons when we are closed).

The telephone lines can be busy, so you might find sending us a message easier and more convenient.

You can also find lots of information online from national organisations and from services in Coventry. Have a look at our ‘other help‘ page.