Guidance on getting an extra payment to help with the cost of living if you’re entitled to certain benefits or tax credits.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be paid automatically in the same way you usually get your benefit or tax credits. This includes if you’re found to be eligible for a Cost of Living Payment or a Disability Cost of Living Payment at a later date.

You could get up to 3 different types of payment depending on your circumstances on a particular date or during a particular period:

• a Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying low income benefit or tax credits
• a Disability Cost of Living Payment, if you get a qualifying disability benefit
• a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, if you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023

These payments are not taxable and will not affect the benefits or tax credits you get.

Low income benefits and tax credits

You may get a payment of £650 paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324 if you get payments of any of the following:

• Universal Credit
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

The payment will be made separately from your benefit.

If you have a joint claim with a partner, you will get one payment of £326 and one payment of £324 for your joint claim, if you’re entitled.

Universal Credit

You were eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £326 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022.

You will be eligible for the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period 26 August 2022 to 25 September 2022.

The payment will be made separately from your benefit.

Universal Credit ‘nil awards’

You will not be eligible for the Cost of Living Payment if your Universal Credit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying assessment period. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’. Reasons your Universal Credit may be reduced to £0 for an assessment period include getting more than one payment of earnings, your or your partner’s earnings go up, your or your partner’s savings go up, you start getting another benefit.

If money has also been taken off for other reasons (such as payments of rent to your landlord or for money that you owe), you might still be eligible.

Income-based JSA, income-based ESA, Income Support and Pension Credit

You were eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £326 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022.

You will be eligible for the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 if you were entitled to a payment (or later found to be entitled to a payment) of income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period 26 August 2022 to 25 September 2022.

The payment will be made separately from your benefit.

Tax credits

You were eligible for the first Cost of Living Payment of £326 if you received, or later receive, for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022 either:

• a payment of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023
• an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023

You will be eligible for the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 if you received, or later receive, for any day in the period 26 August 2022 to 25 September 2022 either:

• a payment of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023
• an annual award of at least £26 of tax credits for the tax year 2022 to 2023

If you get both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, you will receive a Cost of Living Payment for Child Tax Credit only, which will be paid by HMRC.

If you get tax credits from HMRC and a low income benefit from DWP, you will get a Cost of Living Payment from DWP only.

New direct Cost of Living Payments to households on means tested benefits

More than 8 million UK households on eligible means tested benefits will receive additional Cost of Living Payments totalling up to £900 in the 2023-24 financial year.

This includes eligible households receiving the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit

These will be made in more than one payment. DWP and HMRC will provide further detail on timing of these payments and eligibility dates in due course.

These payments will be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards. These payments will be made on a UK-wide basis.

New Cost of Living Payments for pensioners

More than eight million pensioner households across the UK will receive an additional £300 Cost of Living Payment for pensioners in 2023-24 to help with bills. This is in addition to the means tested benefit and disability payments, if eligible.

Pensioners are disproportionately impacted by higher energy costs, many are unable to increase their income through work, and many low-income pensioner households do not claim the means tested benefits they are entitled to, so offering universal support for this group is the right thing to do.

DWP will provide further detail on timing of the payments and eligibility dates in due course.

This payment will be tax-free and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards. These payments will be made on a UK-wide basis.

New Disability Cost of Living Payments for people on disability benefits

Over 6 million people across the UK on eligible ‘extra costs’ disability benefits will receive a further £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment in 2023-24, to help with the additional costs they face. This is in addition to the Cost of Living Payments for households on means tested benefits and pensioner households, if eligible.

This includes everyone eligible for:

• Disability Living Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Scottish Disability Benefits
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• War Pension Mobility Supplement

DWP will provide further detail on timing of the payments and eligibility dates in due course.

This payment will be tax-free and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards. These payments will be made on a UK-wide basis.

Benefits uprating

The Government is protecting the most vulnerable in society, many of whom face the biggest challenge making their incomes stretch, by increasing benefits in line with inflation. This means that they will rise by September Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation – 10.1%.

Uprating working age and disability benefits will cost £11 billion next year. More than 10 million working age families will see their benefit payments rise from April 2023. The Government is also providing support this winter for people who need help now, including money off energy bills and cost of living payments announced in May 2022.

DWP benefits are fully devolved in Northern Ireland, so it is for the Northern Ireland Executive to decide uprating in Northern Ireland.

Pensions uprating

Nearly 12 million pensioners in Great Britain will benefit from a 10.1% increase to their State Pension in April 2023 under the triple lock.

The full basic State Pension will increase from £141.85 to £156.20 (£748.75 per year), and the full weekly rate of the new State Pension will increase from £185.15 to £203.85(£975.75 per year). [The average State Pension in payment will increase by over £870 next year].

The Government will also protect 1.4 million of the poorest pensioner households from inflation by increasing Pension Credit by 10.1%, September CPI inflation, in April 2023.

DWP benefits are fully devolved in Northern Ireland, so it is for the Northern Ireland Executive to decide uprating in Northern Ireland.

Benefit cap levels increase

In April 2023, the government will also increase the benefit cap levels in line with inflation by 10.1%. The benefit cap levels will rise from £23,000 to £25,323 for families in Greater London and from £20,000 to £22,020 for families nationally.

The levels for single households without children will rise from £15,410 to £16,967 in Greater London and from £13,400 to £14,753 nationally.

Household Support Fund extension

For those who require extra support, the government is providing an additional £1bn to help with the cost of household essentials, for the 2023-24 financial year, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding for this support to £2.5 billion.

In England this includes an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842m, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. Guidance and individual Local Authority indicative allocations for this further extension will be announced in due course. Devolved administrations will receive £158 million through the Barnett formula.

National Living Wage rise

The government remains committed to ending low pay. From 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over – the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.

This represents an increase of over £1,600 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the NLW and is expected to benefit over 2 million low paid workers.

Young people and apprentices on the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates will also see a boost to their wages. Rates will be increased for people aged 21-22 by 10.9% to £10.18 an hour, for those aged 18-20 by 9.7% to £7.49 an hour, for 16-17 year olds by 9.7% to £5.28 an hour, and for Apprentices by 9.7% to £5.28 an hour.

Ongoing Energy Price Guarantee

The Energy Price Guarantee was introduced to shield people from unprecedented rises in energy prices.

It fixed the cost of energy so that a typical household pays the equivalent of £2,500 on their energy bills a year, saving the typical household £900 this winter.

From next April, this will change so that the typical household will now pay on average £3,000 a year.

This will save around £14 billion next year while still saving the typical household £500 a year off their energy bills, compared to the price of the energy price cap.

This change allows us to provide additional support to the most vulnerable through the new Cost of Living Payments.

The government will also double to £200 the level of support for households that use alternative fuels, such as heating oil, LPG, coal or biomass, to heat their homes. This will apply to all households in Northern Ireland in recognition of the prevalence of alternative fuel usage in Northern Ireland.

Energy Efficiency

The most effective way to support households to tackle the long-term higher cost of energy is to support the improvement of the energy efficiency of their homes.

A new Energy Efficiency Taskforce will aim to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030 against 2021 levels. Government has already provided £6.6 billion to improve energy efficiency for households, businesses, and the public sector this Parliament, and is investing an additional £6 billion from 2025 to 2028 to support the new ambition.

Low-income and vulnerable households can currently contact either their local authorities or energy suppliers for the opportunity to receive free energy efficiency improvements, significantly reducing their energy bills.

From April, all homes with council tax bands A-D in England. A-C in Scotland, A-E in Wales in poorly insulated homes will be eligible for government funded energy efficiency measures via the Energy Company Obligation. By contacting energy suppliers, hundreds of thousands of households could save an average of £320.

Individuals on disability benefits will receive a one-off £150 payment in September to help with extra costs, such as for specialist equipment or transport.

This is in addition to the £650 Cost of Living Payment for disabled people who also receive means tested benefits.

Check if you’re eligible for the Disability Cost of Living Payment

£1.5 billion has been made available to support the most vulnerable to cover their essential daily costs, like energy bills. Recipients include pensioners and families with children.

Local authorities can also issue food vouchers to families during the school holidays.

Contact your local Council to check if you’re eligible for the Household Support Fund

You may be eligible for a Budgeting Loan if you’ve been on certain benefits for 6 months. This can be used for household items, rent in advance and travelling costs.

Check if you’re eligible for a Budgeting Loan

Tax-free childcare

You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the cost of childcare.

30 hours free childcare

Eligible working families in England with 3 and 4 year old children can receive 30 hours of free childcare a week.

Visit Childcare Choices for more information

Child Benefit

You can claim Child Benefit if you’re responsible for bringing up a child who is:

• under 16
• under 20 if they stay in approved education or training

Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child.

It’s paid every 4 weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can claim for.

Claim Child Benefit

National Breakfast Clubs

All participating schools will receive a 75% government subsidy for breakfast club provision, with 25% from other funding streams.

Find out more about the National School Breakfast Programme

Claim Healthy Start vouchers

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be able to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

Check if you’re eligible for Healthy Start vouchers

Get help with maternity costs

You could claim a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child.

Check if you’re eligible for the Sure Start Maternity Grant

Find out what offers are available from businesses to help with the cost of living.

https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/discounts-and-offers/

Cutting fuel duty

Fuel duty for petrol and diesel has been cut by 5 pence per litre across the whole of the UK until March 2023. It saves £100 for the average car driver, £200 for the average van driver and £1,500 for the average haulier.

Save 1/3rd on rail journeys

You can get up to a third off train fares with a railcard in Great Britain, saving up to £142 a year on average.

Save one third on rail journeys with a railcard

50% off travel if you’re on Universal Credit

You may be eligible for a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card if you’re on Universal Credit.

Find out more information on the National Rail website

Bus passes

In England you can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the State Pension age.

Apply for an older person’s bus pass

If you’re disabled then you may be eligible for a disabled person’s pass if you live in England.

Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass

Get help looking for jobs

You can search and apply for jobs across a range of industries across the UK through our Find a job website.

Search and apply for jobs

Personalised job support

You can get personalised support, tips and advice to find your next opportunity through JobHelp.

Get support, training and advice on finding your next job

Claim tax relief on work-related expenses

Find out how to claim tax relief on money you’ve spent on things like work uniform and clothing, tools, subscriptions or business travel.

Claim Income Tax relief for your employment expenses (P87)

Warm Spaces is a community-led initiative where businesses, community, faith or social enterprise organisations provide a welcoming space for residents to stay warm and engage with others in their community.

The rise in energy bills is impacting everyone.

For some, the cost of heating is an everyday struggle. For others, the rise in costs mean cutting out activities that help reduce loneliness, which affect many people during winter months.

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/directories/warm-spaces

The government has provided local authorities across England with funding to support families most in need to help with significantly rising living costs.

We have now received funding for the Household Support Fund. The funding will cover October 2022 – March 2023.

The fund will support households who would struggle to meet food and energy bills without support.

We will continue to work with schools and early years settings to identify households with children who can receive the support.

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/householdsupportfund

The Barnet Resident Support Fund (BRSF) is financial support for Barnet residents who are struggling to afford household essentials such as paying for food, energy bills and meet other living costs.

You can apply if you are:

• aged 16 or older
• a Barnet resident living in the area for at least 6 weeks
• moving into Barnet from an institution such as a hospital, care home or prison, or fleeing violence, domestic or international and have a local connection to the area

To apply you must also be receiving a qualifying benefit such as:

• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit
• recently come off a qualifying benefit because you’ve started work and are waiting to be paid

To apply you must not be:

• under immigration control and restricted from applying for public funds
• receiving a previous payment from a basic living needs award within the last 6 months, furnishings award within the last 12 months, electrical or gas goods award within the last 36 months
• able to apply for a budgeting loan from the Department for Works and Pensions

Full details of the BRSF application criteria

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/benefits-grants-and-financial-advice/barnet-resident-support-fund

If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless you should contact Barnet Homes as soon as possible on 020 8610 3539.

There are very few council and housing association properties available in Barnet and demand for housing far exceeds our supply. This means that:

• our first priority will be to help you stay in your current home
• you may be offered a home in the private rented sector
• for most people the quickest and most effective way to solve your housing problem will be for you to find your own accommodation in the private rented sector. The private rented sector in Barnet is very expensive and if you are on a low income you may need to look for accommodation in areas which are more affordable for you
• social housing is allocated to those with the most urgent housing need, so most people will not qualify
• if you qualify for social housing we will make one reasonable offer of accommodation only. If you do not accept this, it is likely that we will not be able to help you further.

If you are already homeless

Barnet Homes runs an appointment only service.

Telephone: 020 8610 3539

Type Talk: 18001 0800 3895225

Email: housingadvice@barnethomes.orgExternal link

If you think we can help you with your housing problem, you should contact us as soon as possible on 020 8610 3539. A member of our Housing Options team will then assess your housing problem and circumstances and give you advice on what options you have to solve them.  In order to do this, you will be asked questions about:

• you and your household, including immigration status
• any serious medical conditions you believe are affected or made worse by your current situation
• your income and expenses
• your current housing situation / problem.

Based on the information that you provide, we will provide you with advice on next steps.  If we think we can help you, an advice appointment will be arranged for you so that we can review your case in more detail and give you further assistance.

If an advice appointment is arranged for you, we will ask you to provide evidence to help us complete an assessment of your circumstances and needs.  We need this information so that we can better understand your housing problem and circumstances and work with you to find the housing advice and options that are most suitable for you. You will need to provide a range of documents including proof of your identity, income and current address.

It is important that you tell us as soon as possible if it is likely that you could become homeless. We will do everything we can to prevent this and will assess your situation, offer advice and explain your options.

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/housing/homelessness

Barnet Family Information Service (FIS) provides information and guidance on a whole range of childcare options and services for children and young people in the London Borough of Barnet. These include play groups, nurseries, childminders, parent and toddler groups, afterschool provision, breakfast clubs, holiday playschemes and information on financial support towards the cost of childcare. The information is provided free of charge. The service also provides comprehensive guidance for those interested in careers working with children, including: – free information sessions, free introductory courses.

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/directories/directme/family-information-service-fis

Their aim is for every child to have the best start in life, better opportunities for parents, provide good quality childcare, stronger and safer communities.

If the child is under 5 we will work holistically with the whole family.

We offer a range of services to children under 5 and their families including:

• Maternity Services, Antenatal and Postnatal
• Baby Groups
• Breastfeeding Support
• Baby Self Weighing Service
• Stay and Play Sessions
• Childminding Groups
• Adult Learning
• Benefit Support
• Employment Support
• Support with School Applications
• Free Early Years Education eligibility checks and support to find a suitable setting
• Parenting Programmes
• Health Promotions; Oral Health, Healthy Eating, Introduction to solids and toilet training
• Healthy Start Vitamins
• Food Bank Vouchers
• Child Health Checks
• Access to specialist support including speech and language
• Provide bespoke support, advice and guidance.

https://www.barnet.gov.uk/directories/childrens-centres-in-barnet

The aim of Brent Hubs is to work with residents who find it difficult to access the support they need through mainstream services. We are focused on supporting people to help themselves and each other, working with them to solve their problems and build knowledge, understanding and resilience.

FREE friendly Help, Advice and Support around;

– Housing Benefit and Council Tax
– Housing
– Welfare Benefits
– Brent MyAccount
– Employment and Skills
– Money management
– Debt advice
– Advice with landlord issues
– Tenancy sustainment
– Basic Immigration advice
– Food Aid provision and MORE

Brent Hubs also offer a physical space for a range of local organisations and voluntary and community sector services to work together under one roof and provide a more localised service.

The council can award a discretionary housing payment (DHP) to top up housing benefit and the housing costs element of universal credit if entitlement is less than the full rent. ‘Discretionary’ means that we decide whether to award the top-up payment. It’s discretionary because we don’t have enough money to help everyone who applies. We use the information you give us on this form to decide whether to award you a DHP.

When may we award a discretionary housing payment?

Apply now: https://www.brent.gov.uk/benefits-and-money-advice/extra-help-with-housing-costs#howtoapply 

The Brent Resident Support Fund (RSF) is a discretionary support fund available to Brent residents who are in financial difficulties, for example struggling with food, utility bills and other household essentials. You can also apply if you are in short-term financial need because of an emergency.

Apply Here: https://www.brent.gov.uk/benefits-and-money-advice/resident-support-fund#howtoapplyrsf

Council tenants that are struggling financially and are at risk of getting into arrears should contact or visit:

Tel: 020 8937 2000 (option 3)

For more information on Brent Housing Services: 

https://www.brent.gov.uk/housing/housing-assistance

For all other housing needs visit: https://www.brent.gov.uk/housing

They provide help and support to children, young people and their families from before birth up to the age of 19.

All families face challenges and sometimes need support. Early Help is about providing this support as soon as possible to tackle difficulties for children, young people and families before they become more serious. We work with the whole family and the child is at the centre of everything we do.

How to access Brent Early Help Services:

There are a number of teams and services involved, including our:

• Family wellbeing centres: that deliver early help offer for children and families
• Family solutions team: works through family wellbeing centres to support families with children aged 0 to 18 years old (up to 25 for young people with disabilities) on a range of issues including mental health, domestic abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, parenting and money advice.
• Early years services: gives advice on childcare for all ages including free childcare for 2, 3 and 4 year olds and out of school childcare for older children.
• Portage team: a free home visiting service for pre-school children with a disability or additional needs
• Embedded team: that works to support siblings in families where older children are working with specialist /and/or statutory services (including pupil referral units and the youth offending service).
• Accelerated support team: providing a rapid-response service to young people (on the edge of care) between the ages of 11 and 17 and their families.

Tel: 0208 937 3010

https://www.brent.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families/support-for-parents-and-families/early-help-service#whatistheearlyhelpservice

The Brent Family Wellbeing Centres provide a range of community-led services that can support you from the moment you know you’re expecting, through pregnancy and birth, until your child is 18 years old (or up to 25 for children and young people with special educational needs). The Centres, offer a wide range of free health, education and welfare services to families and aim to give everyone in Brent the best possible start in life.

Register to use the Family Wellbeing Centres

The Brent Family Wellbeing Centres are free to use by families that live in Brent. If you wish to use the services provided at any of the Centres, you will need to register your family’s details, including all of the children you have. It’s simple and easy to do and once you are registered, you can book and manage your sessions and activities in advance. 

You need to sign in to Brent My Account to register for the Family Wellbeing Centres. If you haven’t created a My Account yet, you can register for both.

https://www.brent.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families/support-for-parents-and-families/family-wellbeing-centres

Help for householders

Support if you’re homeless or at risk of being homeless. How to help someone if they’re living on the streets.

https://www.croydon.gov.uk/housing/housing-support/homelessness

Best Start services

Best Start is a universal service that can give you access to early intervention support from pregnancy until your child turns 5. The service ensures that babies and children have the best start in life by giving them access to the right services and information. These are listed in the directory.

Find out how you can access Best Start services.

Parenting programmes

Find out how you can access parenting programmes listed in the directory.

Best Start children’s centres offer services, activities and support for families with children under 5. Most activities, apart from childcare are either offered free or at a small cost. Every centre is unique and provides a wide range of services and activities you might need as a family with a baby or young child, for example, midwife appointments, child health review.

Our children’s centre services are delivered by three main hubs who plan and co-ordinate the services across the locality:

https://www.croydon.gov.uk/children-young-people-and-families/find-support/support-directory/best-start-service-childrens-centres

Haringey Warm Welcome is a growing network of inclusive, warm, and welcoming spaces across the borough that are run by local businesses, organisations, and places of worship.

We know that some residents may be finding it hard to keep their homes warm due to rising energy costs, so, these spaces provide a warm, safe place for residents to go, meet new people, and in some cases, get some refreshments, and take part in fun activities.

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/community/haringey-warm-welcome#nearest

All are welcome.

We recognise that some residents are experiencing financial hardship.

The Haringey Support Fund (HSF) is a scheme to help residents who:

• have a low income
• are facing unexpected costs
• need help to meet their immediate needs
• need help to pay for essential items that are difficult to budget for

The scheme gives one-off payments for:

• help with your basic living needs:
  • items for day to day living such as food and essential household items
  • utilities including gas and electricity reconnection
  • help with essential clothing and footwear
  • help with other basic living needs, such as support to pay broadband bills where there is an urgent need
• items to help you remain in your home or when moving into a new home like:
  • essential household appliances like a fridge or washing machine
  • bedding, mattresses and some types of furniture
  • cooking equipment, or other essential kitchen items

As we cannot know every challenge you may face, we accept applications for other essential support which cannot be budgeted for.

Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/community/here-help-financial-support-residents/haringey-support-fund

If you’re at risk of homelessness within the next 56 days contact the Homelessness Prevention Service

People can be threatened with homelessness for many reasons. The following pages provide advice depending on your circumstances:

• private tenant at risk of eviction/at the end of a tenancy
• facing eviction from family or friends
• suffering domestic violence
• experiencing a non-violent relationship breakdown
• leaving prison
• leaving care
• leaving hospital
• options for older people
• experiencing mental health issues or impairments
• ex-armed forces

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/community/here-help-financial-support/help-homelessness

https://fisd.haringey.gov.uk/

A Children’s Centre brings together a range of services for children under five and their families such as family support, health and education.

It includes good quality childcare, information and support across the local community. The idea is to make services easy to use and to give children the best start in life.

Services offered

• Access child and family health services
• A friendly place to play and learn
• Meet other families and carers
• Access to family friendly support services
• Support on looking for work or training
• Become a volunteer in the community

https://www.haringey.gov.uk/children-and-families/childcare-and-early-years/childrens-centres

Warm Hubs are warm, safe places where residents can expect a friendly and inclusive welcome. People can come along on their own, or with a friend, and talk to others over a hot drink.

https://harrowgiving.org.uk/warmhubs/

The Council’s Household Support Fund may be able to help through:

• Help Harrow: Access to food supplies as well as advice on energy, health, wellbeing and benefits
• Application Scheme: One-off payments that qualifying households can apply for
• Vouchers for Low-income Households: The council will contact eligible households who will be sent a voucher
• Free School Meals during the Holidays: Vouchers will be given to vulnerable households up to Easter 2023

Find out more about the Household Support Fund

If you are struggling with the cost of housing, you should first check that you are receiving the correct amount of benefits using the Entitlement Calculator.

After checking you are receiving the correct benefits, if you are still struggling to pay your rent, you may be able to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment.

If you think are are going to become homeless, please read our information on What to do if you think you will be homeless.

For help with mortgage payments see Mortgage arrears advice

Harrow FIS provides information, advice and guidance on a wide range of services including:

• entitlements
• support and activities for families with children aged 0-19 (or 25 if the young person has a disability or additional needs) and the professionals working with them.

The FIS provides information on:

• Childcare provision in the London Borough of Harrow (Ofsted registered and non-registered)
• Early education and childcare funding entitlements
• Early Support Hubs
• Activities for families, children and young people
• Local and national services and voluntary organisations which offer information advice support to families with children

Harrow FIS also provides information, advice and guidance to:

• Existing childcare providers
• People who are interested in a childminding career
• People who are interested
• in working in the childcare profession or wanting to set up daycare provision (nursery/playgroup/before and after school club/holiday playscheme)
• Professionals working with children and families
• Existing childcare providers
• People looking to register as childminders
• People looking to work in the childcare profession
• Setting up a daycare
• Family support information

The service operates a telephone helpline and email service from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm excluding bank holidays.

During your pregnancy and throughout your child’s life journey, Harrow Council can offer your family support. We work with your family to identify and support your needs as they emerge. Here are some of the teams and networks in Harrow to support you and your family:

0-25 years: Early Support Hubs deliver evidence based services and activities tailored to meet the needs of Harrow’s children, young people, parents, grandparents, carers and expectent families. We provide these services from a range of venues in Harrow including education settings, the main delivery is through the three family hubs across Harrow: Cedars Hub, Hillview Hub and the Wealdstone Hub – Early Support Hubs

0-19 years: The Harrow Health Visiting and School Nursing Service is a specialist team providing expert advice, support, and interventions to families with children in their first years of life. They help empower parents and carers to make decisions that affect their family’s future health and wellbeing – Health visiting service

0-5 years: Harrow Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Team supports private, voluntary, and independent nurseries, school nurseries and childminders. They provide advice and practical support around approaches for early identification and intervention for emerging SEN children in all early years settings (SEN Code of Practice 2014) – Harrow Early Years website

0-5 years: Harrow Families Information Service (FIS) provide information, advice, guidance and signposting to appropriate services based on the individual needs of families. All the information we provide to families and professionals is free – Families Information Service team

0-5 years: Portage Home Visiting Service is a home teaching programme. It is for pre-school children aged 0-5 years, who are experiencing delayed development and are not in a pre-school/school setting – Portage Home Visiting Service

0-25 years: The Educational Psychology Service works with children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities. It is also for other vulnerable young people such as those in public care, for whom there are concerns about development and progress Educational Psychologist

0-5 years: The Children’s Sensory Team works with children and young people with hearing and / or vision impairment from birth to age 25 years. We can work with them in their homes, play-groups, nurseries, schools and colleges  Children’s Sensory Team

0-5 years: Additional resourced provision. Hillview is a mainstream Nursery School. It has an additionally resourced provision funded by the London Borough of Harrow. The fund is for nursery aged children with moderate to severe complex learning needs and who may be identified as requiring an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan), when they are of school age. The admission procedure for the resourced provision does not conform to the enrolment and admission procedures for the mainstream nursery.

There are a number of council run buildings that are open during the day and are open to visitors.

Libraries – Get online, use the free wifi, borrow a book at one of Ealing’s libraries or attend courses such as maths workshops, digital for beginners and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Leisure centres – Visit one of our leisure centres offering a vast range of facilities including swimming, badminton, dance classes and female only gyms.

Community centres – Community centres across the borough offer a variety of activities for people of all ages. Your local community centre will have a programme of events.

Children’s centres – There are 25 children’s centres each providing a range of activities aimed at children aged 0-5 and their families.

Day care centres – The council’s day care centres provide tailored activities to older people and those with learning disabilities

Healthy Homes Ealing – A free service available to all residents that provides advice on how to make your home more energy efficient and what grants might be available to you.

COVID and flu jabs – Make sure your vaccinations are up to date.

Dealing with stress – If stress is impacting you, there are things that you can do that might help.

Looking after your mental health – Find out where to get help and support if you need it, as well as how to protect and improve your own mental health and wellbeing.

Staying well this winter – Information and advice from the NHS on staying well in cold weather and what to do if you feel unwell.

Stay warm this winter – Age UK offers advice on how to stay warm and well this winter.

Warm spaces – Find a warm space near you.

Workshops and courses – Explore workshops and courses by the council’s adult learning team that can help to improve your health and wellbeing

Stay active – Visit one of our leisure centres offering a vast range of facilities including swimming, badminton, dance classes and female only gyms.

Healthy start scheme – If you are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

Adult social care – There are a range of services available to older and vulnerable adults in the borough.

Community support directory – Search the directory for information, advice and guidance from organisations, support groups and charities in Ealing.

The household support fund is available until March 2023. It gives those who qualify, help towards food and essential items. The government has already announced an extension of the household support fund. Details to be confirmed.

You do not need to apply. The following households will get the household support fund automatically:

Families eligible for benefits related free school meals, based on low income, will get supermarket vouchers:

• October 2022 – £15 per child
• December 2022 – £40 per child
• February 2023 – £15 per child
• March 2023 – £30 per child

Or

Families with children under the age of five, who get housing benefit and/or council tax reduction:

• October 2022 – £15 per household
• December 2022 – £40 per household
• February 2023 – £15 per household
• March 2023 – £30 per household

Care leavers

Ealing care leavers will get supermarket vouchers.

• October 2022 – £15 per care leaver
• December 2022 – £40 per care leaver
• Feburary 2023 – £15 per care leaver
• March 2023 – £30 per care leaver

Households on housing benefit and/or council tax reduction who are not in receipt of DWP benefits or tax credits will also receive a one-off voucher payment of £170 in November. Other households

Extra local welfare assistance funding has been made available, for households who do not fit into any of the three groups listed above. You will need to apply for this help. If you are facing financial hardship, apply for local welfare assistance.

Discretionary housing payments (DHP) and discretionary council tax discounts (DCTD) are not payments of housing benefit, council tax reduction or universal credit.

DHPs are separate payments made at the council’s discretion in cases where it considers that extra help with housing costs are needed.

You must be entitled to housing benefit/universal credit (housing costs element) to receive a DHP. A DHP cannot be used to:

• Pay ineligible service charges
• Minimise the effect of Job Seeker Plus sanctions
• Make payment when housing benefit is suspended
• Help with council tax – there is a separate discretionary council tax discount to help with council tax liability.

A DCTD is a discount that is applied to your council tax account and reduces your council tax liability; this is made at the council’s discretion in cases where it considers that extra help with council tax liability is needed.

• You may be eligible for a DCTD even if you are not in receipt of council tax reduction but you are experiencing financial hardship.
• A DCTD cannot be used to help with housing costs.

To help process your application in a quicker time please provide the following documents in support of your application:

• Bank statements -Two months most recent consecutive statements for all building society and bank accounts, regardless of balance, held by you and or partner if you have one. These must be full statements showing all transactions and name of holder.
• Capital/savings held by you and your partner (e.g. shares, ISAs etc)
• Rent arrears – If you are applying for help with rent arrears we need to see rent statements from your landlord from when you went into arrears to date.
• Universal Credit – If you receive Universal Credit we need to see your last three award notices in full showing all deductions. (Download or print this from your Universal Credit Journal.)
• Debts and other relevant information – proof of debts (utilities, loans etc)
• Removal costs – If you are applying for help with removal costs please provide two quotes.
• Moving into a new home – Please provide your tenancy agreement or letter from landlord confirming details of a proposed tenancy (rent, rent deposit, address of property).
• Any other relevant information to support your application (medical evidence, eviction notices etc).
• Identity and income – if you do not receive housing benefit or council tax reduction, you must provide proof of identity and income and your national insurance number.

Your files need to be clearly readable. If we cannot read your evidence it will take longer to process your application.

Evidence to support your DHP claim can be uploaded to the online form, sent by email or posted. The sooner you send the evidence the quicker we can help you.

Online

We may ask you to upload some documents.

• Accepted file types: Word (docx), Acrobat (pdf), Excel (xlsx), Plain text (txt).
• Zip files cannot be uploaded.
• We also accept clear photos taken on phones and tablets and the following image file types – jpeg, gif, png.
• There is a maximum individual file size per document of 10MB.

Email

You can send scanned documents or digital photos by attaching them by email to HBScanning@ealing.gov.uk

In the email ‘subject’ box please enter the text ‘DHP application’, followed by your national insurance number and the DHP claim reference.
Your uploaded files need to be clearly readable. If we cannot read your documents it will take longer to process your application.

• Post
  If you are unable to upload evidence online you can post it to: Ealing Council, PO BOX 32251, London W5 5XA

What Happens Next?

You must report all change of circumstances once you have made a claim as soon as possible otherwise you may need to repay any overpayments.

If you are liable to pay rent towards your accommodation, you can apply for discretionary housing payment and/or discretionary council tax discount:

Apply if you pay rent

If your at risk of being homeless

Please note that all contact is by telephone. Please do not go to Perceval House, which is shut to the public.

If you are likely to become, or already are, homeless, but you do not have an existing application with our service, please telephone our reception service: 020 8825 6444

If all staff are busy, you will be able to either leave a voicemail message with you contact details or send an email to Emergencyhousing@ealing.gov.uk

For existing customers with a housing solutions officer

To discuss a case currently being dealt with by a housing solutions officer, please, in the first instance contact your own officer direct by email or on their direct line.

If your officer is away, please use one of these two duty line numbers:

• 020 8825 8881
• 020 8825 8888

For more information:

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201086/housing_and_council_tax/378/homelessness

Ealing has a network of 25 children’s centres – led by seven main centres – each offering a range of activities and access to services for young children (aged pre-birth-5) and their families such as;

• Early education and childcare
• Out of school and play activities
• Family Support
• Parenting Support
• Family health services such as midwives, breastfeeding support and health visitors
• Back to work skills, access to training courses and volunteering
• Early Start Ealing services

Each centre provides a wide range of services for young children and their families to ensure that young children get the best start in life and that their families are well supported.

To find your nearest children’s centre – click on your area from the left hand side of the page, then enter your postcode. If you know the name of the centre you’d like to visit – click on their name from the right hand side of this page.

If you have any difficulties contacting a children’s centre directly, you can call the Family Information Service on 020 8825 5588 (Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm), or email children@ealing.gov.uk

https://www.ealingfamiliesdirectory.org.uk/kb5/ealing/directory/family.page?familychannel=2

Across Enfield, warm spaces are being set up and offered to the public. We want to make sure that nobody is left to suffer on their own this winter. Enfield Libraries are offering a warm and friendly welcome.

Visit Warm Welcome to find a warm space near you. Why not share the link with friends and family?

Enfield library services

The 17 libraries throughout Enfield provide support from staff, volunteers and one of our many partners that can help with:

• money matters
• council services
• skills and employment
• health
• ICT learning
• literacy
• family matters
• education (such as homework support)
• baby and toddler rhyme times
• an amazing sensory offer
• housebound delivery via the Royal Volunteer Service

Warm space activities and events are being held at the four hub libraries (Edmonton Green Library, Enfield Town Library, Ordnance Unity Centre Library and Palmers Green Library), so if you want comfort, information, advice and support, visit a library in Enfield, pull up a chair and make yourself at home.

With our late-night closures and Sunday opening, you have daily access to:

• free wi-fi
• public PCs
• over 100 online learning courses
• fantastic e-services such as Press Reader that lets you have free access to all national and international newspapers and popular magazines
• a choice of over 10 million stock items as part of the Library Consortium
• study and community space

For residents that are feeling isolated, there are a range of activities designed to provide them with a sense of community.

See our library opening times.

Other library services

Also, at Edmonton Green Library and Enfield Town Library we offer visa verification services, a food pantry and Enfield Town Library has a café facility attached.

At Edmonton Green and Enfield Town you can also find our Community Hubs that connect you with support for money and debt, wellbeing and food, housing and jobs and skills.

Get involved

Did you know Enfield Knitting group based at Enfield Town Library are knitting for charity this winter? If you would like to become a volunteer and support our community, please speak with a member of staff.

Community hubs is a face-to-face service that connects residents with support across 4 pillars:

• Help with money, including:
  • welfare and debt advice
  • Council Tax and benefit enquiries
  • concessionary travel
• Help with jobs and skills, including:
  • skills training employment pillar (STEP) programme
  • support with work experience, training, or to find a job
• Help with health and wellbeing, including:
  • food pantry – offering heavily discounted food
  • connecting people to their communities to avoid social isolation
• Help with housing stability, including:
  • support to access the Housing Advisory Service

Opening times

The hubs are open to all residents, and you do not need an appointment.

We are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, and are based in Edmonton Green and Enfield Town libraries.

Please note that the Edmonton hub is closed from 2pm and Enfield Town hub from 2:45pm on the third Wednesday of each month for training purposes.

Edmonton Community Hub
Edmonton Green Library
36-44 South Mall
Edmonton
N9 0TN

Enfield Community Hub
Enfield Town Library
66 Church Street
Enfield
EN2 6AX

£2,847,994.64 of funding has been provided to Enfield by the government to allocate to those most in need between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023.

The fund is intended to cover a wide range of low-income households, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers, and people with disabilities.

The Household Support Fund should be used to support households who may not be eligible for other support the government has recently made available.

Support for children at school

During October and February half term

Holiday activities will be held in a warm space and will include food.

During the December school holidays

Children receiving free school meals and children who have been identified by their school will receive a £40 Edenred food voucher (this is per child). These will be arranged and issued via the child’s school.

During 1 October to 31 March 2023

Funding is available at a child’s school in the London Borough of Enfield to support with school uniforms.

Funding has made been available to schools who wish to run a food bank.

Support for adults in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support

From mid November 22 to 31 January 23

Post office vouchers will be issued to those identified with specific needs by the end of November 2022, to be redeemed by 31 January 23. These include:

• £230 to those not eligible to receive the £650 cost of living payment
• £115 to pensioners who did not redeem their payment by 30 September 22 from the previous funding
• £85 to others who did not redeem their payment by 30 September 22 to be reallocated from this funding

https://www.enfield.gov.uk/services/benefits-and-money-advice/household-support-fund

You can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) if you get Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs and think that you need extra help paying your rent.

Before applying, you must make sure that the help you currently get, either through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, is based on your correct income and circumstances.

The DHP fund is limited so we will look at your income and expenses to decide.

You may need to give evidence of:

• attempts you have made to improve your situation (moving to an affordable home, or negotiating rent reduction or payments with your landlord)
• steps you took to maximise your income by claiming all benefits you’re entitled to or seeking help with debts and money management
• money you get and spend (bank statements within the last 2 months and savings accounts)
• rent arrears (rent statement, bank statement, rent book or rent receipts)
• anyone who lives with you who could give financial help
• notice to leave your home
• your household health and disabilities (doctor’s letter and disability benefit)

If you get Universal Credit, you must also provide the following:

• proof you’re getting Universal Credit housing costs
• proof of your most recent 2 months Universal Credit awards
• your most recent tenancy agreement
• your landlord’s contact details

You should answer all the questions and give your contact details so we can get in touch if we have any queries.

If your claim is successful, we will send you a letter with details of the payment.

https://www.enfield.gov.uk/services/benefits-and-money-advice/discretionary-housing-payment

A person is threatened with homelessness if they:

• are likely to become homeless in 56 days
• have received a valid notice to quit (S21 notice)
• have received a notice that their landlord requires possession of accommodation (NOSP) which expires within 56 days

If you’re threatened with homelessness and are eligible for help, we can help to prevent your homelessness. You can find more details on who is eligible by visiting Shelter – Council housing: immigration and habitual residence conditions. If you’re subject to immigration control, you will be asked for further information to determine what type of assistance can be offered.

A person could be homeless if they:

• have no home in the UK or elsewhere that they have a legal right to occupy
• have a movable home, such as a boat or caravan, and there is nowhere it can be placed legally
• are at risk of harm if they stay in their current home

If you think you may be homeless or threatened with homelessness, we may be able to help you to stay in your home or move to another home. The earlier you contact us the more we’ll be able to help.

If you’re homeless and eligible, we’ll look at whether you have local connections in the area including:

• how long you’ve lived in the area
• if you’re employed in the area
• if you have close family in the area
• other special circumstances

If you don’t have a local connection to Enfield, we may refer your application to the council you do have a local connection with.

We will carry out an assessment of your circumstances to help us understand your situation and what help and support you need. We will complete a personal housing support plan to set out what you need to do and what we will do to help you. Over the course of your application we will update you with what we are doing. You will also need to contact us regularly to let us know what you have done from your personal housing support plan.

We will first try to prevent you from becoming homeless. This may include talking to your landlord, mortgage lender or family to find a way to resolve your current threat of homelessness. We may also refer you to other organisations for help with your current housing or
to find alternative accommodation. If we’re unable to prevent your homelessness within 56 days, we will try to relieve your homelessness. This may be with an offer of private rented accommodation or placement into temporary accommodation whilst we help you secure longer term accommodation. See our advice
on how to find a property to rent.

For information about what duties you may be owed, visit Shelter – Local authority homelessness duties.

Enfield Early Help work with the whole family to improve wellbeing, relationships, behaviour and communication by offering advice, support and direct interventions at any point in a child or young person’s life, from pre-birth to adulthood. The type of support offered will depend on the needs of the family. The Enfield Early Help Hub has services that support children young people and families.

https://new.enfield.gov.uk/if/

Household Support Fund

To support residents with the cost of living, H&F is distributing funds to local groups and residents in need from the Household Support Fund (HSF). This funding will be used to help people in need with things such as energy bills and food. We’re working with a range of local charities, voluntary groups and partners to make sure we can get the right help to those who need it, at the right time.

While residents cannot apply directly for the Household Support Fund, we may still be able to help. Please call our team on 020 8753 5566 for more details. If support is available, it will be based on your current situation and we may ask a few questions about your financial situation.

After receiving housing benefit, if you are still in financial difficulty due to a shortfall between your benefit entitlement and the rent you are charged, you can apply for a discretionary housing payment (DHP).

We will look closely at your personal circumstances and your finances, and may make an additional award of benefit if you are suffering hardship. This benefit is paid from a fixed annual fund and is a discretionary payment and is not awarded to everyone who claims it.

We may award a DHP if:

• your housing benefit is less than your rent because household income is too high to qualify for maximum benefit
• your housing benefit has been restricted because either
  • your local housing allowance is less than your rent
  • the valuation provided by a rent officer is less than your rent
• your housing benefit has been reduced because of the number of adults in the household
• your housing benefit has been capped because the value of all benefits together exceeds £350 per week for a single person or £500 per week for couples or families
• your housing benefit has been restricted because you have more bedrooms than required and live in a council or housing association property.

(Housing benefit refers to either housing benefit awarded by H&F Council or the housing element of Universal Credit)

We can’t award a DHP:

• to cover personal service charges (e.g. fuel and water rates) that are included in the rent
• if the applicant does not already receive either housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit
• if an existing benefit already covers the rent amount.

How long will we pay you for

We will award you a DHP for a fixed period and never for more than a year. When completing an  application we’ll ask how long the applicant will need extra financial help and what they will do to avoid needing additional payments in the long term.

Who can get a discretionary housing payment?

Other than any situations mentioned above, there are no rules about who can get discretionary housing payments.

We will usually take into account any special circumstances that contribute to your financial difficulties, for example, if:

• you have to pay child maintenance
• you have to pay legal costs
• you have extra heating costs because you spend a lot of time at home because you are sick or have a disability
• you have extra travel costs because you travel to a doctor or hospital or you care for a relative or friend.

What information should I send with the claim?

You will be asked to give evidence of your expenditure (the money you have going out). This could be a copy of a bill or your bank statements. You should also provide any information about your circumstances that make things difficult for you financially.

For the claimant (and partner, if applicable)

• latest UC statement OR 9 digit benefits claim reference
• bank account statements covering the last two consecutive months
• tenancy agreement (excludes H&F tenants)
• proof of ID
• proof of National Insurance Number

For everyone in the household

• proof of ID
• proof of National Insurance Number (adults only)
• proof of education status for any full-time students over 16 (if applicable)

Depending on reason(s) for applying we may require

• rent arrears statement
• evidence of seeking work
• evidence of downsizing registration
• Section 8 notice
• deposit and rent in advance invoice
• quotes for moving costs

For further information, please contact the benefits team or fill in the Discretionary Housing Payments form. You will be asked to log in to or register with My Account to access the form.

https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/benefits/make-new-claim/discretionary-housing-payments

If your at risk of being homeless

If you have become homeless suddenly and have not had time to make alternative arrangements, please use our housing advice contact form to find the best way to get in contact with us for your situation.

Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. If you become homeless outside these office hours, call our night or weekend emergency housing service on 020 8753 4200.

We will carry out an assessment of your situation. Due to the Covid pandemic, the majority of our staff are working from home so we are delivering this service remotely, primarily by phone.

What we will ask you to provide

You’ll need to provide certain documents so that we can help you, such as:

• ID (a passport, birth certificate or residence card)
• birth certificates for any children that live with you
• proof of address (utility bills)
• proof of income (bank statements, wage slips or benefits award letters).

Your housing officer can talk you through how you can submit these documents electronically. It will help to speed up the process if you have photos or scanned copies of these documents ready.

If you don’t have ID, you may have a letter from the home office confirming your immigration status which we will ask to see.

If you don’t provide any documentation it will be very difficult for us to help you.

Who we’re likely to help 

We can help you if you’re eligible and homeless but we follow a legal process to prioritise who we rehouse.

If we don’t consider you to be homeless, we will always provide you with advice and guidance to find a solution.

What is local connection

For us to consider providing housing, we need to establish that you have a local connection with Hammersmith & Fulham.

You have a local connection with Hammersmith & Fulham if you:

• have lived in Hammersmith & Fulham for longer than elsewhere – this can be 6 of the last 12 months, or 3 of the last 5 years
• have relatives living here
• work in the borough.

This is not the only way you can establish a local connection. Visit the Shelter website to find more about local connection.

If we assess that you don’t have a local connection with Hammersmith & Fulham, we may then refer you to a council you have a local connection with.

If you are at risk of violence or domestic abuse in your current area, the local connections rules do not apply.

https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/early-years/family-information-service

Our children’s centres are here to help families in Hammersmith & Fulham thrive.They are places where mums, dads, carers and children can make new friends and enjoy play and learning experiences together.

Children’s centre services

Children’s centre services in Hammersmith & Fulham offer a range of experiences for families with children including learn and play sessions, baby massage, health visitor clinics, English language classes, sleep workshops and much more.

https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/children-and-young-people/early-years/children-s-centres

Heater Loan Scheme runs throughout the winter, offering support to older people when the weather gets colder.

The fund will run until Friday 31 March 2023 and will be used to support low-income households who need help with food, energy and other essential costs.

Further information and guidance on how to apply for this fund will be made available soon.

https://hillingdon.gov.uk/household-support-grant

If your at risk of being homeless

Hillingdon council’s priority is to work with you early in your eviction process to avoid a situation where you become homeless.

https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/2153/At-risk-of-being-homeless

Until March 2023, warm spaces are being opened across Hounslow so that people have somewhere they can go if they are struggling to heat their homes.

Everyone is welcome at any of the warm spaces and they can stay as long as they like (as long as it does not become crowded).

All 11 of the boroughs libraries and four leisure centres are offering warm spaces, in addition to many others which are being operated by charities and voluntary organisations. Please see below for details of where they are located, when they are open and what is on offer.

https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/homepage/256/warm_spaces

Hounslow’s Community Solutions team is hosting a series of events across the borough to give residents access to guidance and support on everyday issues connected with the rising cost of living in a pressure free environment.

Many of the events are being delivered in partnership with other local organisations, to provide advice on a wide range of issues. See the table below for details of the sessions near you.

* Community Solutions and 2 or more partner organisations

** Community Solutions and 10 or more partner organisations

https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/homepage/252/cost_of_living_marketplace_roadshow

The Council has received funding for the Household Support Grant.  The funding is available from October 2022 to March 2023

The Household Support Grant provides households with payments to help with essentials such as food and utilities.

To qualify for help

• you do not need to be in receipt of benefits.  With this grant we can help anyone who is on a low income
• you will need to provide proof of your utility bills showing that you are in arrears with your payments.
• If you are struggling to pay for food, you need to explain why you are unable to manage on the income you have.

https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20004/community_and_living/2225/household_support_grant

We now administer the scheme for customers who would have normally sought help from the Department of Work and Pensions Social Fund scheme.

Examples of where Hounslow may assist are:

• Household facing exceptional stress i.e. family/marital breakdown
• Household facing exceptional pressure i.e. partner or child with a disability, replacement of items damaged by a family member with challenging behaviour
• Households with unexpected expenses i.e. food costs will be referred to our local foodbank.

If you have any queries about the process, you can call us 020 8583 2000 with general enquiries but the call centre will not be able to give you any update on any application you have made at present.

Apply Here:

SUBMIT AN APPLICATION NOW

Homelessness can happen to anybody for many reasons, some of which can be prevented.

It is a result of a change in circumstances that may have caused you to leave or lose your home.

The good news is that we can prevent this from happening and have outlined a range of services and tools that we think are the most helpful.

Hounslow also has a team in place, ready to provide you with advice and ongoing support.

https://hounslowhomelessnessprevention.commonplace.is/

They provide help and support to children, young people and their families from before birth up to the age of 19.

All families face challenges and sometimes need support. Early Help is about providing this support as soon as possible to tackle difficulties for children, young people and families before they become more serious. We work with the whole family and the child is at the centre of everything we do.

https://www.hounslow.gov.uk/info/20027/early_years_and_childcare

Children’s Centre’s offer services across Hounslow broken down into 3 locality areas (Central, East and West). Alongside our fun playgroups we support families with advice and information on helping families to prepare for nursery, supporting healthy lifestyles, parenting support groups/courses, support in returning to work and meeting other families in the local community.

https://fsd.hounslow.gov.uk/SynergyWeb/CC_New_CC_Home.aspx

As the cost of living crisis continues, many of us face tough decisions this Winter. Some of us cannot afford to heat our homes or are worried about doing so.

To support the community, we have partnered with the voluntary sector and other organisations to open a network of Warm Spaces across Lambeth that you can visit for free, relax, stay warm and meet others in the community.

Each Warm Space is slightly different; you can find some in libraries, community halls and hubs. Some offer hot food, activities and services. Whichever Warm Space you visit, all will be safe, heated, welcoming, kind and inclusive.

Find a Warm Space below.

https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/warm-spaces

Lambeth’s Emergency Support Scheme can help if you’re a resident facing hardship, a crisis, emergency or disaster, including struggling to pay bills or afford food.

The scheme provides in-kind support, such as vouchers, wherever possible, rather than cash grants.

We can help your household meet living costs through:

• high street vouchers
• food vouchers
• fuel payments
• second-hand furniture
• refurbished white goods
• a handy-man service
• a removals and storage service

https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/benefits-financial-support/extra-support-people-crisis/emergency-support-scheme

The Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) scheme helps people who need more financial help with their housing costs. We can pay DHP on top of your normal Housing Benefit.

Discretionary Housing Payment is not available to help meet Council Tax costs anymore. DHPs are not benefits – they are separate payments we can make at our discretion. We have a limited amount of money for DHP so not all claims are successful.

A lump sum DHP cannot be awarded to clear rent arrears as so many applications made are purely for this purpose and have to be refused.

https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/benefits-financial-support/extra-support-people-crisis/discretionary-housing-payment-dhp

Get advice on homeless prevention and access help and information for rough sleepers.

https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/housing/finding-home/homelessness-prevention-housing-advice

Families information service provides free, reliable and impartial information and assistance to parents, carers, professionals and young people about local services and activities available to you and your family.

https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/children-young-people-families/families-information-service

Children’s centres are the main base for the delivery of Better Start services for babies and children aged from 0-4 and their families in Lambeth. Our network of children’s centres offers a wide range of activities, help and support for young children and their families.

These include health services like:
* ante-natal and post-natal care
* baby clinics
* groups to support breastfeeding and infant feeding
* support around children’s diet and nutrition.

Speech and language therapists can support and guide you on children’s early communication and language skills, and some centres provide additional specialist support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Centres also offer small group stay and play sessions and activities for babies, toddlers and young children to attend with parents and carers, and some centres provide childcare, including free early learning for 2 year olds.

There are lots of services for parents and carers too, including:
* family learning courses
* parenting support groups
* ESOL classes
* support around training and employment.

You can get information about accessing benefits or dealing housing difficulties from a skilled advisor, and the centre’s Better Start workers can give you additional help and support about a wide range of topics including parenting and child development, finding childcare, and signposting to other services that may be able to support you or your child. They will aim to provide this support as soon as you need it so that by the time your child is 5 years old they are happy, healthy and ready for school.

Some services are delivered on a face-to-face basis, and others may be delivered virtually or by phone. You will need to book a place in a group before attending.

https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/children-young-people-families/childrens-centres/find-your-nearest-better-start-childrens-centre

We know many local people are worried about rising energy costs and heating their homes. We want to extend a warm welcome to anyone who needs a warm, inviting space through the Cost of Living Crisis. We are working with local partners to identify local spaces that can provide warm spaces free of charge for residents. These includes our libraries, find your nearest library and see their opening times. 

Community groups are also coming together to offer spaces where people can pop in. Our partners at Lewisham Local are working with us to coordinate these. All spaces are currently different, some may be providing hot drinks, others may be providing hot food, others may be providing social activities and additional support. Check the warm spaces map to find your nearest space and get more information.

https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/benefits/housing-benefit/apply-for-housing-benefit

Contact Lewisham on 0808 178 0939 if you are homeless, or likely to be homeless. We will:

• assess your housing situation
• work out what your needs are
• give you advice on the next steps to take.

They will help you develop a personalised housing and wellbeing plan, which sets out what actions we will both take to prevent or relieve your homelessness.

Opening hours

https://lewisham.gov.uk/organizations/family-information-service

Families can access a range of services and information from health, education and social care professionals at centres across the borough.

If you visit one of the Lewisham children and family centres, you can access the following services:

• family and parenting support, including family learning and parenting courses

• advice on early-years education and childcare, including eligibility for free education and childcare for 2–4-year-olds

• child and family health services, including baby hubs and breastfeeding support

• volunteering and employment support, including links to Jobcentre Plus

• information and advice about children’s services and schools

• drop-in services covering health, education and a range of other areas such as debt management, counselling and SENDIASS.

  https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/education/earlyyears/childrens-centres

They offer advice and information on a wide range of subjects including Consumer, Legal, Tax, Family law, Energy suppliers and Immigration & Nationality.  

Services are available via pre-booked appointments or by telephone.

Citizens Advice Kensington & Chelsea, Chelsea Manor Gardens at the back of Chelsea Old Town Hall, Kings Road, London SW3 5EB

Tel: 0808 278 7982

Find more information on its website. https://www.citizensadvicekc.org.uk/

The council can award a discretionary housing payment (DHP) to top up housing benefit and the housing costs element of universal credit if entitlement is less than the full rent. ‘Discretionary’ means that we decide whether to award the top-up payment. It’s discretionary because we don’t have enough money to help everyone who applies. We use the information you give us on this form to decide whether to award you a DHP.

When may we award a discretionary housing payment?
We may award a DHP if:
– you receive Universal Credit with a housing element or your entitled to housing benefit

Apply now: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/benefits/benefits-provided-council/discretionary-housing-payments

Local Support Payments are for low-income recipients that have suffered a crisis or emergency (such as flooding) and come in the form of quality second-hand furniture and white goods, or store vouchers.

Apply Here: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/oadarbkc/scripts/orev.wsc/ibsxmlpr.p?docid=da_screenTree&pageid=1&org=01

There is help available for residents of the Borough struggling with household bills, food and clothing.

The Council has made available £1.15m to those most in need of support. Payments will be made to the following residents:

• Families entitled to Free School Meals will receive £3 per week-day per pupil during the school holidays.
• Residents of pensionable age in receipt of Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit or Universal Credit Housing Costs, will receive a payment of £150.
• Care Leavers living in their own accommodation in need of subsistence support will receive a £100 grant.
• Vulnerable families known to Family Services in need of subsistence support will receive a £50 grant.
• Vulnerable families with no recourse to public funds and those placed in hotels by the Home Office will receive £100.

There is no need for residents to apply to this fund. The Council will contact eligible residents directly to make a payment. 

Council tenants that are struggling financially and are at risk of getting into arrears should contact or visit:

RBKC Customer Service Centre
Kensington Town Hall
Hornton Street
London
W8 7NX

Tel: 0207 361 3008

For more information on RBKC Housing Services: 

https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/housing/help-housing-homelessness-and-finding-new-home

For all other housing needs visit: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/housing

They provide help and support to children, young people and their families from before birth up to the age of 19.

All families face challenges and sometimes need support. Early Help is about providing this support as soon as possible to tackle difficulties for children, young people and families before they become more serious. We work with the whole family and the child is at the centre of everything we do.

How to access RBKC Early Help Services:

• Our service is for families with children up to the age of 19 who are resident in the borough.You can refer yourself to our services. We also accept referral from professionals who may already be working with you such as your:
  • school
  • health visitor
  • youth service
  • children’s centre

Tel: 020 7598 4601

https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/children-and-families/early-help-families

Family Hubs are a new way of bringing together all the support you may need as a family from pregnancy through to young people turning 19 (or 25 if they have a disability).

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea has a few hubs. There should be one in walking distance, or a short bus ride, of where you live.

There is a children’s centre in each of the Family Hubs with all the activities for very young children as well as a wider range of support for families with children of older ages.

Your Family Hub will be able to give you information and support such as:

• advice on benefits, debt and other money issues
• advice on housing
• breastfeeding support and baby groups
• family learning
• family therapy clinic
• groups for families where someone has a mental health issue
• health visiting
• help to return to work or training
• help with children’s emotional well-being
• midwifery
• parenting courses
• play, early learning and school holiday activities
• support around SEN and disability
• support if you are experiencing domestic abuse
• support for children’s transitions into and between schools, and engaging with learning
• young carer support
• young people’s groups and opportunities

Family Hubs are run by the services that support you from health, council and the voluntary sector working together in a more joined-up way, to give you the right help at the right time.

https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/kb5/rbkc/fis/family.page?familychannel=2

They offer advice and information on a wide range of subjects including Consumer, Legal, Tax, Family law, Energy suppliers and Immigration & Nationality.  

If you are a Westminster resident you can access their services online, over the phone and face-to-face from several venues across the bureau.

Citizens Advice Westminster, The Stowe Centre, 258 Harrow Road, London W2 5ES

Tel: 0808 278 7834

Find more information on its website.https://www.westminstercab.org.uk/

The council can award a discretionary housing payment (DHP) to top up housing benefit and the housing costs element of universal credit if entitlement is less than the full rent. ‘Discretionary’ means that we decide whether to award the top-up payment. It’s discretionary because we don’t have enough money to help everyone who applies. We use the information you give us on this form to decide whether to award you a DHP.

When may we award a discretionary housing payment?
We may award a DHP if:
– your benefit is less than your rent because your income is too high to qualify for the maximum benefit
– your benefit is less than the rent you have to pay your landlord because of a rent restriction
– your benefit has been reduced because other adults are living with you
– your benefit has been reduced because you are affected by the Benefit Cap.

Apply now: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/benefits/apply-discretionary-housing-payment

Local Support Payments are for low-income recipients that have suffered a crisis or emergency (such as flooding) and come in the form of quality second-hand furniture and white goods, or store vouchers.

Apply Here: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/benefits/apply-local-support-payment

The Hardship Fund aims to help Westminster residents who are struggling due to the cost-of-living increases and that may not be getting other help from the Household Support Fund.

Households with incomes of around £21,500 or in receipt of a welfare benefit, that are struggling with bills, can apply to the local Hardship Fund which is a joint effort between the council and Citizens Advice Westminster. Help comes in the form of supermarket vouchers of between £150 and £320. Applications can be made through advice organisations, council or housing association staff and councillors and anyone applying needs to discuss their financial situation with an advice agency, to make sure they are getting everything they are entitled to.

Apply Here: https://www.westminstercab.org.uk/advice/westminster-local-hardship-fund/

The School Uniform Support Scheme will help Westminster resident families of children in Reception Year of a Westminster primary school from September 2022 and those Year Six pupils in Westminster primary schools that have now moved onto secondary school from September 2022 and are in receipt of (FSM) Free School Meals. You will need to contact your current or previous primary school if you have not yet received the grant for both Reception age children and new Year 7 children.

Council tenants that are struggling financially and are at risk of getting into arrears should contact the income services team on 0800 358 3783 (option 1, then option 2) 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday to discuss the help available.

For more information on Westminster Housing Services: 

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/about-council/contact-us/housing-services

For all other housing needs visit: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/housing

They provide help and support to children, young people and their families from before birth up to the age of 19.

All families face challenges and sometimes need support. Early Help is about providing this support as soon as possible to tackle difficulties for children, young people and families before they become more serious. We work with the whole family and the child is at the centre of everything we do.

How to access Westminster Early Help Services:

• Via your local Family Hub – If you feel you need some extra support or would like more information about the Early Help service you can speak to a member of the family hub team who will help work out the best service to support you.
• Via another professional – you can ask a professional you are already working with to make a referral, such as your: teacher, health visitor, youth worker, GP.
• Alternatively you can refer yourself or a child by contacting our Access Team on 020 7641 4000 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or the Emergency Duty Team 020 7641 2388 (outside of these times).

Family Hubs are a new way of bringing together all the support you may need as a family from pregnancy through to young people turning 19 (or 25 if they have a disability).

Westminster has three Family Hubs. There should be one in walking distance, or a short bus ride, of where you live.

There is a children’s centre in each of the Family Hubs with all the activities for very young children as well as a wider range of support for families with children of older ages.

Your Family Hub will be able to give you information and support such as:

• advice on benefits, debt and other money issues
• advice on housing
• breastfeeding support and baby groups
• family learning
• family therapy clinic
• groups for families where someone has a mental health issue
• health visiting
• help to return to work or training
• help with children’s emotional well-being
• midwifery
• parenting courses
• play, early learning and school holiday activities
• support around SEN and disability
• support if you are experiencing domestic abuse
• support for children’s transitions into and between schools, and engaging with learning
• young carer support
• young people’s groups and opportunities

Family Hubs are run by the services that support you from health, council and the voluntary sector working together in a more joined-up way, to give you the right help at the right time.

• South locality, Bessborough Family Hub
• North-east locality, Church Street Family Hub
• North-west locality, Queens Park Children’s Centre