Cost of living help

We have a webpage on support with the cost of living.

Benefits

The Department of Work & Pensions website has the up to date information about benefits including:

Benefits and financial support for families - GOV.UK
Benefits and financial support if you're caring for someone - GOV.UK
Information about Benefits Calculators that will help you explore what you may be entitled to

National Insurance Credits for Carers

If you care for someone over 16 years old for more than 20 hours a week you may be entitled to National Insurance (NI) credits. Find out eligibility, how much you could get and how to claim on the GOV.UK Carers Credit webpage.

Support and Advice about Finances and Benefits

Your Jobcentre Plus work coach can tell you about support you can get to help you combine work with looking after children or caring responsibilities.

Making Money Count are partnership projects working in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and can offer support and advice about money, bills and debt, benefits and other financial matters.

Cambridgeshire’s Local Assistance Scheme (CLAS)

Cambridgeshire’s Local Assistance Scheme (CLAS) provides a frontline safety net to those individuals and families facing unexpected financial difficulties and hardship. The scheme provides information, advice and discretionary assistance that enables eligible families and individuals to improve their immediate financial position; cope and better support themselves and use relevant resources to succeed in the long term. This could include access to low cost re-used and refurbished household items, clothing and food vouchers.

Household Support Fund

The Cambridgeshire Household Support Fund is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Fund has been created to help people experiencing immediate financial hardship to pay for food, household energy or other essential items.

Benefits advice and information

There are information sheets about benefits for people of all ages, including about changes that happen as children become adults, and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - which are updated on a regular basis.

Our Welfare Benefits Advice Team will be able to answer any questions you have about benefits and can assist with filling in benefit application forms. They offer this advice and support to adults, those supporting adults and to parents and carers of children. They can be contacted on 01353 612926.

Disability Cambridgeshire and Disability Huntingdonshire (DISH) provide information and advice on benefits to people of all ages.

Debt Advice

Turn2Us are a national charity who provide information and support to help you get back on track.

The Citizen’s Advice Bureau can offer advice and practical support too.

The Cambridge Money Advice Centre can help and have self-help materials available online.

Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space

If you are receiving mental health crisis treatment, Breathing Space can help take the pressure off of debts and repayments. An Approved Mental Health Practitioner can provide evidence of debts to a debt advice provider.

The debt advice provider will try to establish (as far as possible) which debts you have, and whether they are eligible for the scheme, before including them in a Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space (MHCBS).

To find out more ask your mental health practitioner.

More information about Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space (Gov.UK)

Disability Energy Support

Scope offer free energy and water advice to any disabled person or household where 1 or more disabled people live. There is a range of info about grants, support, benefits, dealing with energy debt, energy saving info and joining the Priority Services Register. They also offer individual advice consultations.

Grants from the Family Fund for families raising disabled children

DfE has provided a further £10 million to the Family Fund which is a UK-wide charity that provides grants for essential items to families on low incomes raising disabled or seriously ill children.

Families can apply for grants for a wide variety of items that they feel could help their disabled child and ease some of the everyday pressures they face. These can include kitchen appliances, computers and tablets, furniture, family breaks and day trips, sensory toys, clothing and bedding, and more. Family Fund cannot consider requests where a statutory agency has assessed a need and have a responsibility to provide the item.

Families who have previously received a grant from Family Fund before 1 April 2020 and whose circumstances have not changed can re-apply for further funding after 15 months. If your circumstances change you may be able to reapply sooner so it is worth checking on the Family Fund website.

Grants and financial support for children with life limiting conditions

EACH (East Anglian Children’s Hospice) have information about finance, grants and legal information.