Benefits advice and welfare services
How can we help?
We have a dedicated income team who are always on hand to help you with your rent account. They are responsible for collecting rent and service charges, and if you struggle to keep up to date with your rent payments, they are here to support you. They will give you advice and guidance to help you sustain your tenancy, which includes advice on welfare and housing benefit entitlements, as well as signposting you for specialist debt advice.
We have a dedicated Welfare and Safeguarding Officer who is here to provide additional support to those who need it the most. We can help with benefits advice for entitlements, your tenancy, fuel or food poverty. We will help you make links with our community partners and create step-by-step support plans to get you where you need to be.
Anyone in need of support can contact us:
Benefits advice from your local authority
You can access lots of useful benefits advice online. Click below on your local council for more information.
Money and debt advice
Step Change
Step Change offers free, confidential debt advice that is based on a comprehensive assessment of your situation. Call 0800 138 1111.
National Debtline
National Debtline is a free and confidential debt advice charity run by the Money Advice Trust. Call 0808 808 4000.
Stop Loan Sharks
Stop Loan Sharks will keep you safe. They will investigate and put people who are lending money illegally in prison. Call 0300 555 2222.
Wellbeing
Mental Health
Help and support is available if you need it. In the event of an emergency, please call 999.
- The NHS Every Mind Matters website has advice and tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing, so you can discover what works for you.
- Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) the campaign against living miserably, is a charity dedicated to preventing suicide. Call 0800 58 58 58.
- Samaritans – Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. Call 116 123 for free.
Addiction
In the event of an emergency please call 999.
For information about addiction, see:
- NHS Live Well – For advice, tips and tools to help with health and wellbeing.
- FRANK – For confidential advice and information about drugs, their effects and the law.
Free school meals
The cost of school meals can really add up. If you’re a parent or carer and you’re worried about money, check if your child can get free school meals and find out how to apply on your local authority’s website.
Free school meals are only available to school-aged children (Reception onwards). If you’re pregnant or have a young child under four, you could be eligible for Healthy Start funds worth £4.25 a week for you and your child.
Healthy eating tools
If you want to start eating healthier, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are some tools that can help:
Fuel Poverty
LEAP is a free service that is helping people keep warm and reduce their energy bills without costing them any money.
If you are worried about paying for your energy bills and keeping your house warm, you can call the free, confidential Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) for help and advice.
The Home Heat Helpline can give you advice on:
- Rebates: helping to get money off your energy bills
- Some great ways to save energy and money, including grants available for things like insulation and new boilers
- Other benefits you might be eligible for
Food banks
Food banks are community organisations that can help if you’re struggling to afford food. Before you go to a food bank, you usually need to get a voucher. We can give out these vouchers or you can get them from another referral agency (e.g. doctors, social workers, etc.)