Worried about money?

Advice and support if you’re struggling with money.

If you’re struggling with bills or debt, don’t have enough money or you’re on a very low income, you might be able to get more help.

Here are three practical areas where you could take action:

Make sure you get the most income or benefit payment you are entitled to
Find extra financial help if you’re struggling or have run out of money
Reduce your bills and managing any debt or arrears

Each of these sections gives you a place to start for finding help and information on where to apply.

Make sure you’re getting everything you’re entitled to

Make sure you are getting the most out of available benefit support. Turn2Us has a free, independent and confidential Benefits Calculator. You enter some details about your circumstances and it checks what you should be getting. It also explains why each question affects the benefits and help you’re entitled to. At the end it lists the benefits you can apply for and the amount you should receive, as well as telling you how to claim or apply for extra help.

Once you know what benefit payments you are entitled to, check if you can pay less for essentials. Being in receipt of some kinds of benefits can unlock eligibility for other kinds of help, including health, housing and school costs, and food if you have young children:

Check if you are eligible to apply for help with health costs and exemptions that mean you don’t need to pay for prescriptions or can pay less for healthcare costs.
Check if you could get a Council Tax Reduction. You will need your current Council Tax bill, which includes information about who to contact. You can apply if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working.
Check if you can apply for free school meals or other help with educational costs for school-age children.
Check if you can get free childcare or help with childcare costs.
Check if you can get help through Healthy Start, for a pre-loaded payment card that you can use in local shops to buy fresh food and milk if you are pregnant or have a child under the age of four.
Check if you can get help with social care costs. If you’re already paying for social care and are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, Daily Living component of PIP, or Attendance Allowance, you could qualify for Disability-Related Expenditure to reduce your social care charges. Inclusion London has an online calculator and guided chat to see what you could be able to get help with (you don’t need to live in London to use this free online service).

If you have applied for the right benefits but they have stopped, not been paid or you have been sanctioned, you can get advice from Citizens Advice about what you can do next. Advice Now have a survival guide to being sanctioned, with information about what to expect and resources for each step of the process.

Apply for local welfare assistance schemes or discretionary grants

You might be able to get some money to help you with living costs, housing costs or your energy bills if you are facing serious financial difficulty. These are ‘discretionary’ which means you aren’t necessary entitled to this help and you will have to apply and explain why you need extra support right now.

Hardship support from your local council

Essential Living Fund

This is a range of exceptional hardship support, which can include vouchers, a pre-loaded payment card, furniture or white goods, help with living costs, or coping with a disaster.

Find out more about the Essential Living Fund in Southend and Essex. To apply you must live in Essex. All applications are made through the Southend website, even if you live in Rochford, Castle Point or other areas. You need to select the right online form for your area in the section ‘How to apply for an Essential Living Fund grant’.

Discretionary Housing Payments

If you already get help with housing as part of your benefits and are still struggling to pay your rent, or if you are trying to move into cheaper accommodation and need help with a deposit, you could get help with a Discretionary Housing Payment from your local council:

Southend
Rochford
Castle Point

Grants from charities

Grants from charities could give money or items to help you. Charities often have eligibility criteria, or limits on who can apply, based on your circumstances, your occupation, and if you have particular health conditions or disabilities. Adding in some information about this when you use the grant search pages could find more options for you.

Search for grants you, your partner and your children could be eligible for using the Turn2Us Grants Search. The website can also connect you with people who can help you apply for grants.
Parents, guardians and grandparents can also search for educational grants to support children with school costs.

You might be eligible for a grant to help pay energy and fuel bills, depending on your circumstances. The British Gas Energy Trust has information about grants and eligibility, whichever company supplies your gas and electricity. You are more likely to get one of these grants if you have already got advice through other charities about managing your money.

Manage your bills, debts and arrears

Struggling with bills? Need information about dealing with arrears?

National Debt Line gives independent information to help you understand all your options about managing debt. You can read their guides, get help online with an adviser through their webchat service, or call the national helpline.

If you need to put together a budget, you can begin with their online tool. It has videos about how to fill in a budget and guidance about which debts are priority debts, or the ones you have to sort out first.

You can read and download fact sheets with information about how to deal with different kinds of debt and bills, including:

Self-employed?

There is separate help available if you are self-employed, through Business Debt Line. This also offers a webchat, a phone line to call to speak with an adviser and online information guides to help deal with your debt.

Benefit debt or making payments to the DWP?

Find out how to deal with, challenge or reduce payments for benefit debt:

DWP Debt management
Other debts to the government, including TV fines and CSA
Reducing payments on a Universal Credit advance

Need help with managing debt, breathing space and finding a debt solution?

If you need help reducing and managing your debt, Step Change is a national charity that gives impartial and independent advice. You can get advice confidentially, online or over the phone. You can get more comprehensive help, with an individual assessment to understand your circumstances and what you need. They offer ongoing support for as long as you need it as part of finding a debt solution. This can include help applying for ‘Breathing Space’ if you are eligible. Once you start getting debt advice on StepChange, you can switch between getting help online and over the phone, pause, and come back to it later or take some time to think things through as you get help with a personal action plan.

Use the online tool to answer a few questions and find out where to start with getting debt advice, help and solutions.

Need someone on your side as you repay your debt?

KMAC (King’s Money Advice Centre) in Southend offers appointments to meet an adviser in person, to work with you to make a full budget, making sense of your paperwork together. Then they can help you by contacting creditors on your behalf and putting together a plan with you to manage and repay your debts. They also review your plan as your circumstances change.

Need help getting started or preparing to deal with your debt?

CAP offers free, impartial debt advice as well as a range of support, from information and skills through to contacting creditors on your behalf and helping you to apply for a debt solution.

A short money course can help with budgeting and understanding how to manage your money.
Debt help advice can help to understand the different ways to become debt free and find the debt solution that is right for you.
The CAP Southend branch can connect you with a Debt Coach.

You don’t need to prepare anything before you call, they start by talking to you informally and chatting through what you might get out of support from CAP, what to expect and where to begin. The debt help service can then help you move through the steps you need to take to become debt free.

What next?

For one-to-one help, book an appointment with Citizens Advice, who can advise you on a wider range of issues and circumstances. This can also be useful if you need help applying for benefits or help from the council, or if you need to challenge a decision about benefits or help you have applied for. Contact your nearest branch: Southend or South Essex including Rochford and Castle Point.

You can also find independent advisers in your local area through Advice Local across a range of financial, legal and community topics. The website combines links to online information about your rights and options, and links to local services, advisors or charities who can help you.

See our online signposting page for resources for other kinds of support with housing, homelessness, family issues, bereavement, social connection, mental health and managing your budget, and where to find more information.