The cost of living crisis is the biggest issue facing our country. With food prices increasing, heating bills going up and taxes rising, I know this is a very difficult time for many families across Putney, Southfields and Roehampton as well as up and down the country. 

 If you are struggling to keep up with rising costs, angry about the lack of support, or are confused about what measures are available to you: you are not alone. 

If you do need help with the cost of living crisis, I have set up this page to signpost advice from some fantastic organisations like Citizens Advice and Money Saving Expert on what support is available to you.

Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/get-help-with-the-cost-of-living/  

Check what benefits you can get. You may be able to claim benefits or increase your current benefits if you are of working age and on a low income, sick or disabled, of state pension age and on a low income, a carer or responsible for children: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/benefits-introduction/what-benefits-can-i-get/ 

Get your benefits early. Most benefits can be paid early. This is a ‘short term benefit advance’. A small amount will be taken off future payments to pay it back – usually for 12 weeks. To ask for an advance, contact the DWP office that’s dealing with your benefit claim. You can find their contact details on any letter or email you’ve had from them. 

Wandsworth Council cost of living help: https://wandsworth.gov.uk/news/july-2022/council-leader-unveils-far-reaching-programme-of-support-to-help-local-families-through-cost-of-living-crisis/  

Government help. The Energy Bills Support Scheme will give every household in Great Britain £400 off their electricity bill. You’ll get the £400 in 6 instalments starting from October 2022. You’ll get:  

• £66 in October and November 
• £67 in December, January, February and March 

If you have an electricity meter and pay your bills every month or quarterly, your supplier will automatically take the amounts off your energy bill each month. 

If you have a prepayment meter, your supplier will confirm how you’ll get the £400 closer to October 2022. They’ll either: 

• automatically add the instalments to your energy meter  
• give you the instalments as vouchers by email, text or post 

 If you get vouchers, you’ll only be able to use them for your own energy account. 

 The government will also send you extra one-off payments if you: 

• get certain benefits – for example, Universal Credit, PIP or Attendance Allowance 

• are over State Pension age and get Winter Fuel Payments 

 You can get as many of these extra payments as you’re eligible for. You won’t have to pay tax on them and they won’t count as income when calculating your benefits. 

Energy rebate: To help with the rising cost of energy bills, the government announced that eligible households will receive a one-off £150 energy rebate payment which won’t have to be repaid.

Martin Lewis from Money Saving Expert has a cost of living help page here: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/budgeting-debt-help/  

Cost of Living Payments: You may be entitled to Government Cost of Living Payments.

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

For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment

Energy and household bills

British Gas Energy Trust is an independent charitable trust which helps families struggling with money and energy debt. They can provide free support to make sure you’re getting the support and benefits you’re entitled to and run a direct access energy debt programme. For more information visit: www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk

Energy Saving Trust work to help save money on household bills:  www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Heat the Human, not the Home have tips on keeping yourself warm: www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/heat-the-human-not-the-home-save-energy

Government support is available to help you. You can find their Help for Your Energy Bills page here. 

Warm Spaces

Roehampton Library
2 Danebury Avenue, London, SW15 4HD. View opening times here: https://www.better.org.uk/library/london/wandsworth/roehampton-library

Ackroyden Community Centre
Open to all. A warm space to sit and have a hot drink, biscuits, people to talk with and play games. Run by the Ackroyden Community Church. Address: Montfort Place, London, SW19 6QL. Opening hours: Monday 1 to 3pm, Sundays 11:30am-1pm (warm meal also provided)

Eastwood Children’s Centre
For under 5s and their extended families only. Address: 166 Roehampton Lane, Roehampton, London, SW15 4HR. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm

Southfields Library
Open to all. Address: 300 Wimbledon Park Road Southfields, London SW19 6NL. Opening hours: Tuesday 9am-7pm, Wednesday 9am-7pm, Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-2.30pm

Putney Library
Open to all. Address: 5/7 Disraeli Road, London SW15 2DR. Opening hours: View opening hours for Putney Library

Brathway Hall
Open to all. A warm space to sit and have a hot drink, biscuits, people to talk with and play games. Run by St Michael’s & All Angels Church. Address: Brathway Road, London, SW18 4BE. Opening hours: Tuesday 10am to 3pm, Wednesday 12-2pm (hot meal also provided)

Earlsfield Library
Address: 276 Magdalen Road, Earlsfield SW18 3NY. Opening hours: Monday 9am-7pm, Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-2.30pm

SW London Vineyard Church
Address: 401-403 Tildesely Road, Putney, London SW15 3BD. Opening hours: Tuesday 10am-2pm, Wednesday 10am-2pm, Thursday 10am-12.30pm.  Free Wifi, toilets, food and hot drinks available, co-working desks, charging facilities, and child friendly.

Wandsworth Town Library
Address: 11 Garratt Lane Wandsworth, London SW18 4AQ. Opening hours: Tuesday 9am-7pm, Wednesday 9am-7pm, Thursday 9am-7pm, Friday, 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-5pm

St Paul’s Wimbledon Parkside
Address: 23 Inner Park Road
Wimbledon , London SW19 6EW. Opening hours: Thursday 10:30am-12pm.

Food  

Wandsworth Food Bank: info@wandsworth.foodbank.org.uk 020 7326 9428. I can refer you directly to the food bank as well so feel free to email me. Wandsworth Food Bank also have financial advisors to support you with financial hardship and/or debt.

The Pantry at St Pauls, 118 – 120 Augustus Road – weekly drop in, no referral or appointment needed. St Paul’s Pantry – Events – St Paul’s Wimbledon Parkside – A Church Near You

The Roehampton Community Box is available to anyone living within two miles of Roehampton. For a £4 weekly contribution you can select more than £25 worth of groceries including food, toiletries and cleaning products. Email: communitybox@racketscubed.com

For more information about other local organisations, kindly see Wandsworth Care Alliance: https://wandsworthcarealliance.org.uk/coronavirus/wandsworth-organisations-that/

Wandsworth Council are also awarding Crisis Assistance (supermarket vouchers) to cover short-term needs to prevent serious risk to health and safety of a family or individual. For more information visit: https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/news/wandsworth 

Retail discounts and offers: Supermarkets are helping households to cut back on their spending with discounts and offers. For more information visit: https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/discounts-and-offers/

Wandsworth Council can be contacted by phone: 020 8871 6000 or via their website: www.wandsworth.gov.uk

Family

The Little Village: Little Village is like a food bank, but for clothes, toys and equipment for babies and children up to the age of 5. They accept donations of excellent-condition, pre-loved items, which are passed on to families who need support. Email me with your child’s age, and clothes size, and if they want books and toys as well, and I can make a referral on your behalf.

National Childbirth Trust: Provides free advice and guidance for expecting mothers or new mothers.

The Government‘s page on Help for Families can be found here. 

Healthy Start Scheme: If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help buy healthy food and milk. You’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in
some UK shops to buy items such as: milk; fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables; instant formula milk; Healthy Start vitamins. For more information visit: www.healthystart.nhs.uk

Sure Start Maternity Grant: A one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child. You usually qualify if you are having your first child, or if you are expecting a multiple birth, and if you or your partner receive certain benefits. For more information visit: www.gov.uk/sure-start-maternity-grant

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 costs of childcare. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider. You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both. For more information visit: www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

Bills and costs 

Broadband ‘social tariffs’. If you are on certain benefits, you may be entitled to cheaper broadband. Many companies offer these social tariffs, but they are not well advertised. For more information visit: www.moneysavingexpert.com/compare-broadband-deals/broadband-social-tariffs

Railcards. There are several different railcards available, they usually cut a third off the bill and most cost £30 a year. For more information visit: www.railcard.co.uk

Financial Advice 

Citizens Advice Bureau Wandsworth: https://cawandsworth.org/get-advice/ Number: 0808 278 7833  

South West London Law Centre: https://swllc.org   Number: 020 8767 2777, email: enquiries@swllc.org.  

Debt Free London: https://debtfree.london/  

Crosslight helps people with debt or money worries, including free face-to-face advice, money education and budgeting support.Website: Crosslight Advice, Telephone: 020 7052 0318

Wandsworth Food Bank also has financial advisors: email info@wandsworth.foodbank.org.uk or call 020 7326 9428 for more information 

Wandsworth Council have hardship grants available for residents, see here for more information: Discretionary support grants – Wandsworth Borough Council. 

Wandsworth Council are also supporting parents by offering free school uniform. Find out more about this scheme here. 

The Government‘s Cost of Living Support factsheet can be found here.

Money Saving Expert can help with advice on making savings at www.moneysavingexpert.com

Christians Against Poverty provides free debt help and local community groups across the UK. Their free services, run with local churches, provide practical and emotional support. For more information visit:
www.capuk.org or call 0800 328 0006

Step Change Debt Charity supports those struggling with debt. For more information visit: www.stepchange.org or call 0800 138 1111

MoneyHelper offers free support in managing your money. For more information visit: www.moneyhelper.org.uk or call 0800 011 3797. They also have a free money health check: https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/tools-and-calculators?source=mas

Not sure what bills to pay first? The MoneyHelper Bill Prioritiser can help you put your bills in the right order and tell you what to do if you are struggling to pay.

Benefit Entitlement

Turn2Us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. They have a Benefits Calculator, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete and it will tell you which means-tested benefits you may be entitled to, a Grant Search and a Helpline. For more information visit: www.turn2us.org.uk

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some benefits which you may be entitled to:

Discretionary Housing Payments: If you are on certain benefits you may be eligible for Discretionary Housing Payments which provide financial support to help with rent or housing costs. For more information visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments/claiming-discretionary-housing-payments

Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income. You might get extra help if you’re a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person.

Use the Pension Credit calculator (GOV.UK) to find out if you are eligible and how much you could get.

Universal Credit is a single payment benefit, which replaces a number of previous benefits. It is designed to help people on low-incomes or out of work with their living costs.

• Website: Universal Credit (GOV.UK)
• Telephone: 0800 328 5644
• For help, you can visit Jobcentre Plus