If you've not heard of Glasgow's Govan Law Centre we're in the business of helping people through our free solicitors, projects and campaign work. We're a community law centre which means we're accountable to local people through our Board of Trustees.

This new blog aims to do two things: empower you with practical know-how which can be used in real life to save money or resolve problems, and let you suggest consumer rights issues affecting Glaswegians that we should tackle.

Two topical subjects just now are storm damage and debt. If your home has been damaged by high winds, most building insurance policies will cover you for damage sustained. Likewise comprehensive motor insurance will cover storm damage to your car.

You always need to intimate your claim to your insurer and get telephone consent for emergency work, and always keep receipts. If your insurance company rejects your claim, check your policy, and make a written complaint to them. They have eight weeks to deal with it, and if they fail to do so, or refuse to pay out, you should complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service – it's free, easy and help on how to do it can be found on the link below.

What if you don't have insurance? Check if your property factor holds a communal policy which might cover you. If you don't have a policy it will be hard to hold anyone else responsible because even if you can prove someone was negligent the defence of 'damnum fatale' applies, which means because a storm is an inevitable accident it is no-one's fault.

If you have money problems, free help is available across the city from advice agencies funded by Glasgow City Council - see the link below. If your debt has been sold on to a 'debt collection company', don't be intimated by threats of being sued in England, you'd need to be sued at your local court, but get free advice and don't let the problem fester.

If the debt is over five years old and has not been raised in court it may have 'prescribed' in law, which means you don't have to pay it. So get this checked. Debt collection companies add on all sorts of charges and fees, and many of these may have no contractual or legal basis, so don't assume these have to be paid.

If sheriff officers contact you with a council tax summary warrant and won't accept a payment plan which is affordable to you, remember you now have a right to apply to the court for 'time to pay' based upon your personal circumstances – free help on how to do this is below.

It's worth checking whether any of your current or old credit or loan agreements came with 'payment protection insurance'. You might be eligible for a refund worth hundreds or thousands of pounds. And you don't need a lawyer or claims management company, you can do it yourself with this free guide from our friends at MoneySavingExpert.

In my next blog I'll explain how you can use new legal rights and arguments to try and get a refund of mortgage arrears charges added to you mortgage account – all for free and without a lawyer!

IN DETAIL

Govan Law Centre

Advice on how to complain to Financial Ombudsman Service about insurers

Glasgow City Council money advice

Advice on applying to court for 'time to pay' your council tax

Advice on how to reclaim payment protection insurance