The Cambridge cares

The Cambridge has been a member-owned mutual for more than 175 years. And we’ve always believed in being more than a building society, which means doing more for our members when they don’t know where to turn.

Money worries

We understand the impact the challenging economic climate may be having on our members. Changes to interest rates, increase in household costs and bills, affect us all. Financial worry is one of the biggest causes of stress and can affect both mental and physical well-being.

There are a number of places to seek help and advice, such as moneyhelper.org.uk a jargon-busting impartial money advice service backed by the Government. You can also find helpful tips on how to save money on your energy and food bills and information on any benefits you may be entitled to. So do check them out.

There are also a number of other organisations that are ready to help you with advice or support in relation to your health or financial well-being - our Cambridge Cares leaflet provides you with some useful contacts in your time of need.

Whilst there are limits to the support we can provide, it’s simply not in our nature to sit back while people need help. So, if you find yourself feeling concerned or vulnerable in your physical, financial or emotional health, please get in touch. The most important thing is that you talk to us. Because you’re not alone, and we can make a difference.

Here are some of the ways we’re already helping our members:

Mortgage support

If you’re finding it difficult to make your mortgage payments or think you might struggle to pay them in the future, please get in touch as soon as you can and talk to our highly trained Financial Support team on 0345 601 3344. We can discuss the options available to help support you, based on your individual circumstances. You can find more information on how we can help here.

If you need help managing other debts, such as loans and credit cards and don’t know where to start, get in touch with organisations like Step Change, a charity who offer free debt advice, helping you deal with you debt by setting up a plan to get back on track.

 

A safe place to save

Money may be a bit tight at the moment but building a safety net to cover any unexpected costs is really important to help you through challenging economic climates and financial emergencies. By saving regularly; even the smallest amounts can make a big difference, both financially and for your mental wellbeing.  

We’ll be here if you’d like to find out more about our range of savings accounts, call our team on 0345 601 3344. Or you can find more information about the different types of savings accounts here.

 

Vulnerable members

We understand that life events, health related issues and financial circumstances can make us vulnerable and more susceptible to harm at any point in our lives, especially if a firm doesn’t act with the appropriate levels of care. Whilst we may not be the experts in matters that go beyond financial services, we will always do our best to help or point you in the right direction of specialist organisations. So, if you find yourself feeling concerned or vulnerable in your physical, financial or emotional health, please get in touch. You can talk to us in branch, on the phone, over email, on live chat or through our app.

 

Older members

We understand that getting to a store or branch isn't always easy, and managing your accounts should be as convenient as possible. That's why we offer a range of options to help you stay in control of your finances, no matter your situation. 

If you prefer to manage your accounts digitally, our online services and mobile app allow you to manage your account(s) securely from the comfort of your own home. You can also explore our guides to learn more about how to manage your Cambridge accounts online. 

If you’re not comfortable with managing your accounts online or find it tricky getting into store, our Customer Contact Centre is here to help - just give us a call on 0345 601 3344.

You also have the option to give a trusted friend or family member the authority to visit a branch on your behalf and access your funds.

 

Gambling Support

Gambling can have a negative and harmful impact on our mental, physical and financial wellbeing along with relationships with others. If you’re worried about your gambling habits or spending, there is help and support available.

Things you can do to help stop gambling

• Self exclusion. By registering with gamstop.co.uk, it prevents you from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in Great Britain, for a period of your choosing
• Stop or block unwanted emails from any gambling sites/companies
•  Cancel your profile with gambling sites/companies.
•  Talk to someone you trust for help
•  Speak to your bank or building society

Get support from banks and building societies

Your bank or building society may have a few ways that can support with gambling, so please talk to them to find out how they can help. This may include:

• Blocking debit card payments to gambling retailers, often known as a gambling block. This can often be set up via your banking app.
• Set a spending limit for how much you allow yourself to spend with gambling retailers.
• Temporarily freeze your debit card to stop your spending getting out of control
• Change the amount of money you can withdraw in cash each day, or switch off cash withdrawals altogether.

Please talk to your bank and building society to see how they can help support you if your worried about or struggling to control your gambling.

How we can help support you

The Cambridge is a savings and mortgage provider, so we don’t offer current accounts and/or debit cards which are for everyday spending and budgeting.

If you’re concerned about your gambling habits and want to reduce the temptation, then there’s a couple of things we can do to help support this:

• Open a more restrictive savings account, such as a fixed term ISA or bond, making it more difficult to make withdrawals during the fixed term period.
•  If you’re struggling to pay your mortgage, talk to us, we’re to help. Find out more