Thursday 16th April 2020
As part of the Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo weekly advice column we focus on help for those affected by the collapse of Flybe.
With the collapse of Flybe, what help is available to former staff and those whose flights or holidays have been cancelled?
Flybe employees who have decided they need benefits can access the Citizens Advice’s Help to Claim service. Our advisers can help people make their first Universal Credit claim. This may include assistance with the online application form, preparing for a work coach appointment and checking if your first payment is correct.
The Help to Claim webchat service is available at www.citizensadvice.org.uk or by calling 0800 144 8 444 between 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
We appreciate that this will be a very anxious time for Flybe staff. The uncertainty in situations like this can be very frustrating. It can be helpful to conduct a “financial healthcheck” by finding all the information you can, gather any financial evidence you may need to claim benefits, prepare a budget and inform your mortgage company, or other creditors.
For more information and advice go to www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Any Flybe customers who bought tickets directly from the company won’t be protected by the ATOL scheme. However, if they went through a travel agent or other third party they may be covered. Some people may be able to get their money back if they paid by credit card. If people had accommodation booked they should check the terms and conditions to see if they can get a refund.
Unfortunately we’ve found that in these situations scammers quickly jump on the bandwagon. If you’re a Flybe customer and you’re contacted by someone offering to act for you to recover your money it’s more than likely to be a scam. You can find advice on how to spot a scam at ww.citizensadvice.org.uk
Look out for our column next week when we focus on support for Council Tax bills.
The information contained in these articles does not constitute advice. Citizens Advice Exeter and The Express and Echo accept no liability for the information published. Citizens Advice Exeter is unable to respond to individual requests for advice through these columns. Copyright Citizens Advice. For the most up-to-date information, please visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk