The rising cost of living has already affected millions of households and if you’re struggling to pay essential bills, you’re not alone.
Some households may need urgent or more specialist help than we can provide. If you’re unable to pay a bill, the first step is to contact your provider and tell them. They should be best placed to make sure you are receiving any financial assistance you may be entitled to.
There are also a number of organisations that provide free and confidential assistance. Nobody should be facing the cost-of-living crisis alone, and these organisations all offer specialist support to help you with your household finances.
We’ve included a list of some of these organisations in the resources section below.
Contents
https://embed.notionlytics.com/wt/ZXlKd1lXZGxTV1FpT2lJMk9EQmtNVGd3TXpJNU1EYzBZamN4T0RrMFpqQXhOR1UzTWpabVpHSmpOQ0lzSW5kdmNtdHpjR0ZqWlZSeVlXTnJaWEpKWkNJNklqWmhWR05GVDIxRk4xVlhkVmR6YlRJM2N6VnpJbjA9
You can find out what benefits and other financial support people might be able to get here: www.gov.uk/check-benefits-financial-support.
The Government is offering cost-of-living help for eligible households. You can find out more and see what you’re entitled to at: https://www.gov.uk/cost-of-living
If you are having problems with a bill, or your provider in general, your first port of call should be your provider. If they cannot help, if you cannot reach them, or they refuse to help you, you can consider appealing to the ombudsman responsible for handling disputes between consumers and companies.
We have listed some of the key ombudsman services in the resources section below.
<aside> 💡 Jon Rudoe, our Co-founder has written this blog with help from Stepchange, a charity helping those in debt Nous blog: Navigating the cost-of-living crisis with StepChange
</aside>
| Stepchange
| http://www.stepchange.org/ | Stepchange is a charity that helps people manage debt and financial distress. They’re a good first port-of-call for help and support, and can direct you to other resources if required. |
|---|---|
| Citizens Advice | |
| http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ | As well as campaigning on behalf of consumers, Citizens Advice offers lots of financial information and support for individuals and households. Visit their website for confidential advice online, or find out how you can speak to someone over the phone, or in person, for free. |
| Turn2Us | |
| http://www.turn2us.org.uk/ | Turn2Us is a national charity that gives practical help to people in financial difficulty. They have a benefits calculator on their website which can tell you which means-tested benefits you may be entitled to, plus a number of other resources and a free helpline. |
<aside> 💡 If you need help with paying your energy bill:
</aside>
| National Energy Action
| http://www.nea.org.uk/ | NEA is the UK’s national fuel poverty charity. They have a free support line and webchat providing advice and support to people struggling to heat their homes affordably. |
|---|---|
| Warm Home Discount Scheme | |
| https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme | Those on a low income that are struggling to pay their bills could get £140 off their electricity bill for winter under the Warm Home Discount Scheme. |
| Cold Weather Payments | |
| https://coldweatherpayments.dwp.gov.uk/ | If the weather gets really cold and you already get some benefits, you might qualify for cold-weather payments worth £25. The 2022 to 2023 Cold Weather Payment scheme is due to start on 1 November 2022 |