Help to manage the cost of living

Find out what support you can get with the cost of living.

Money advice

Energy, heating and utilities support

Food support (including food banks)

Health, prescriptions and NHS treatments

Support for families

Including holiday activities for kids

Information for professionals

Money advice

Hertfordshire welfare assistance – a scheme to help Hertfordshire residents facing an immediate financial crisis.
Guides from our Money Advice Unit include debt and benefits advice, housing, online training and a budgeting calculator.
Money Saving Expert – advice on cutting your bills.
Visit Benefits.gov.uk to see how benefits work - includes eligibility, appeals, tax credits and universal credits.
The Department for Work and Pensions can help you make a new benefit or pension claim, attend appointments and manage your money.
Business Debt Line – free debt advice for small business owners.
MoneyHelper - cost of living guidance for a variety of money concerns.
National Debt Line - free, independent, confidential debt advice
Stepchange - free, independent, confidential debt advice

Are you claiming all the allowances due to you?

Carer’s Allowance – talk to Carers in Herts on 01992 586969 or email contact@carersinherts.org.uk
Personal Independence Payment – for adults under state retirement age
Attendance Allowance – for those over state retirement age
Disability Living Allowance
Turn2Us – advice and support to help maximise your income and manage your budget

Pensions

Around a third of eligible pensioners don’t claim Pension Credit, often because they don't know they can or that they need to.

Pension Credit calculator – find out if you’re eligible and how much you could get. Alternatively, call 0800 99 1234.

Pension Credit tops up:

your weekly income to at least £218.15 from April 2024 if single
your joint weekly income to at least £332.95 from April 2024 if you have a partner

There are also much larger amounts available if, for example, you are severely disabled, a carer or looking after children. See Pension Credit: What you'll get.

Credit unions

Credit unions – affordable loans and savings accounts. There are 6 credit unions in Hertfordshire:

Energy, heating and utilities support

Hertfordshire’s energy savings app

Unique and easy-to-use, the Hertfordshire Energy Advice Tool (HEAT) app asks you questions and gives quick, easy, low cost actions based on your answers to help save money on your energy bills.

Warmer home schemes in your area
Great British Insulation Scheme (www.gov.uk) - free or cheaper insulation to reduce your home’s energy bills, if you're eligible, which includes an online checker for the Great British Insulation Scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Better Housing Better Health helpline – free impartial advice about home energy, including finding the best value energy suppliers and tariffs.
Electric heater replacement scheme – homeowners and private tenants can apply for a government grant to have old, uneconomical room heaters replaced with electric storage heaters free of charge (with their landlord's permission).
British Gas Energy Trust
Energy Saving Trust – tips to save money on your energy bills.
CDA Herts Oil buying group
Anglian Water offers tariffs for low-income households that can offer up to 50% discount on water and sewage usage.
Community spaces finder – find where in your local community you can socialise, enjoy some activities, and find out about the range of support on offer to help people manage the rising cost of living.
Social tariffs: Cheaper broadband and phone packages - Ofcom Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits.
Warm Homes Discount - You can check if you're eligible to receive the discount using the Government's warm home discount online tool.
An introduction to Cold Weather Payments (publishing.service.gov.uk) is now available in an easy-read format.
WaterSure scheme – help with paying water bills - Citizens Advice
Low income fixed tariff (LIFT) - Affinity Water

Food support

Food banks

Food banks are community organisations that can help if you can’t afford the food you need. You’ll usually need to get a referral to a food bank before you can use it.

A good place to ask for a referral is your nearest Citizens Advice. Tell them you need the food bank – they'll probably make you an appointment to discuss your situation with an adviser.

Alternatively, you can ask for a referral from an organisation that’s already supporting you – for example, a charity, school or children’s centre.

Using a food bank – Citizens Advice

Food banks in Hertfordshire

Food Aid providers (PDF 847KB)

Free school meals

Check if you're eligible for free school meals

If you're eligible for free school meals due to low income, you may also get vouchers from your school during the school holidays. Families can choose to use these supermarket vouchers for food and essentials like blankets, bedding and warm clothing. Contact your school.

#WorthSaving – better food management has the potential to save families up to £720 a year.

Olio – find produce from local businesses which is nearing its sell-by date, spare home-grown vegetables, breads from your local baker or even groceries from your neighbours.

Too Good To Go app – buy surplus unused food from restaurants, cafes and supermarkets.

Kitche – free app that sends reminders and recipe ideas based on what you’ve already got, so you’ll never be stuck for meal ideas.

Health, prescriptions and NHS treatments

If you have a low income, the NHS Low Income Scheme could help you pay for:

NHS prescription charges
NHS dental treatment charges
the cost of sight tests, glasses and contact lenses
the cost of travelling to receive NHS treatment
NHS wigs and fabric supports (check with your hospital for their arrangements for supplying NHS wigs).

It can be cheaper to buy a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) if you need to pay for multiple prescriptions.

Save money with a prescription prepayment certificate

Happiness, wellbeing and mental health

Support for families

Healthy Start If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be able to get help with healthy food, milk and vitamins. Apply for Healthy Start.
School uniform grants – you will need to speak to your childs schools to see if they can provide assistance.
Childcare and free early education – find out how much free childcare you can get, how to claim it and where you can use it.
Government help with childcare costs increased from April 2024, in phases. Read more about the upcoming changes on Childcare Choices. More hours became available in September 2024 and will again in September 2025, including before and after school care.
Hertfordshire Baby bank – collects donations of toys, clothes, accessories and other items for babies, children and parents alike and rehomes them with families in Hertfordshire experiencing hardship.
Sustainable products at discounted prices including, a range of reusable nappies, reusable period products and reusable continence products.
Mortgages The new mortgage 'forbearance' help – how big a change is it, is it mandatory? (moneysavingexpert.com) and Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI): Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Rent – any help with rent is now almost always provided via Universal Credit: If renting privately - Calculate how many bedrooms you are eligible for : DirectGov - LHA Rates (voa.gov.uk)
National Living Wage. The UK's national minimum wages went up in April 2024 by 9.8%, from £10.42 to £11.44 for those aged 21 or over.

Holiday activities for kids

The HAPpy programme runs during the Easter, Summer and Winter holidays. Bookings for Winter camps open will open from midday on Friday 29 November.

Book a holiday activity – there are nearly 16,000 free activity camp places across the county. Eligible families should get their booking code from their school and reserve a place as soon as possible.

Information for professionals

Help to manage the cost of living

HertsHelp

Help for households

Citizens advice

Support from your district or borough council

Money advice

Energy, heating and utilities support

Hertfordshire’s energy savings app

Food support

Health, prescriptions and NHS treatments

Support for families

Holiday activities for kids

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