The Unbelievable Audacity of CLEVR Money
- CLEVR Team
- Aug 12
- 2 min read
Let’s all be honest for a moment. We've heard the tutting, haven't we? The knowing looks and muttered opinions from people who are absolutely certain that those "on the breadline" are simply terrible with money. It’s a very British pastime, isn’t it? Being an expert on everyone else’s financial affairs from the comfort of a heated home with a full biscuit tin.
The general wisdom, as dispensed from a very high horse, is that if you're skint, you simply must not borrow. It's irresponsible. It's reckless. It's a bit like telling someone with a flat tyre that they shouldn't have been driving in the first place. A perfectly sound observation, of course, but it doesn't help them get to work. This, dear reader, is where the credit union waltzes in with its frankly unbelievable, revolutionary idea: the Family Loan.
A Daring Plot to Help People
The Family Loan is, quite frankly, a scandal if you believe that a bit of hardship is character-building. It's a product designed for people who receive Child Benefit, with the repayments being taken directly from that payment. The horror! It’s a sensible, affordable, and secure way to borrow for things like a school uniform, a broken washing machine, or even a new set of tires for the car.
As reports from Fair4All Finance have shown, people in financially vulnerable situations often turn to high-cost credit or, worse, loan sharks, simply to get by. A Family Loan is an antidote to this, a bit of common sense in a world full of predatory lending. It's not a handout; it's a lifeline. It’s the difference between a child having a new coat and going out without.
The Conspiracy of Saving
But wait, there’s a truly diabolical twist to this story. Not only do credit unions dare to lend to those who need it most, but they also have a cunning, two-part plan. With every repayment on a Family Loan, a small portion is siphoned off into a savings account. Yes, you heard that correctly. While they're paying off debt, they’re also building up savings.
Organisations like CLEVR Money, based right here in Blackpool and serving West Lancashire, are leading the charge on this. We're helping people who may never have had a savings account in their lives to build a small nest egg. The Fair4All Finance research into this "deduction lending" found that it's wildly popular, with over 95% satisfaction rates. Seven out of ten people said it helped them save regularly for the very first time.
So, the next time you hear someone complaining that poor people are just "bad with money," you can remind them of the credit union. You can tell them it's a place where a bit of credit can be a lot of sense, and where people are helping themselves to a brighter future. And nothing is more frustrating to a naysayer than a plan that actually works!
