Updated: 28 September 2022
Introduction
This page contains information and support regarding the current cost of living crisis.
Contents
- Council Tax Energy Rebate
- Benefits and Money Advice
- Help to Claim
- Pension Credit
- Lincolnshire Credit Union
- NHS Prescriptions and Health Costs
- Social Tariffs
- Turn 2 Us
- Money Advice and Pensions Service
- Debt Advice
- Help with Food
- Household Support Fund
- Discretionary Housing Payments
- Council Tax Support
- Wellbeing Lincs
- Connect to Support
- Help for households
- Mental Health Helpline
- Love Food, Hate Waste
- Green and Sustainable Living
Council Tax Energy Rebate
For this information, please see our Council Tax Energy Rebate webpage.
Benefits and Money Advice
We can provide you with confidential advice regarding your money, welfare, and benefits. For further information please see the West Lindsey District Council benefits and support advice pages.
Citizens Advice offer free, impartial advice on debt, benefits, employment, and housing problems. They can help make sure you're getting all the support you are entitled to.
Call the Advice Line on freephone 0800 144 8848 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or visit their Lindsey webpages.
Help to Claim
If you have, or someone you know has lost their job or seen reduced working hours, you might be eligible for Universal Credit. Many in-work households do not claim as they do not know what they are entitled to.
Help to Claim is a service to help people in the early stages of a Universal Credit claim. Support is available on freephone 0800 144 8444 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).
Information on Universal Credit, advance payment, and the migration from legacy benefits is available at GOV.UK's Understanding Universal Credit page.
Pension Credit
If you are of pensioner age and not in receipt of Pension Credit, use GOV.UK's online calculator to see if you are eligible. This could boost your income up to £3,300 a year.
You can also ring the Pension Credit claim line 0800 99 1234.
Lincolnshire Credit Union
Credit Unions help people save money and can offer affordable loans. They are an alternative to loan sharks and pay day lenders, and can help people avoid problem debt.
Visit the Credit Union Nottingham, Lincoln & Mansfield website or call them on 0330 004 0842.
NHS Prescriptions and Health Costs
Some people are eligible for free NHS prescriptions, dental treatment, eye tests and help with other NHS costs including transport to appointments.
Social Tariffs
Switching provider or accessing discounted social tariffs can help households save money. Ofcom are raising awareness of social tariffs from broadband and phone packages to how people can access them.
Anglian Water offer tariffs for low-income households with up to 50% discount on water and sewage charges.
Residents should call the Extra Care Team on 0800 232 1963 and see if they are able to switch tariff or find if there are other ways Anglian Water can help with bills.
Severn Trent provide the service for sewage collection in parts of West Lindsey, you will already be aware if you pay them separately to Anglian Water. Please visit Severn Trent Water's help pages for further assistance
Turn 2 Us
Turn2us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. The Turn2us Grants Search can help you look for funds that might be able to give you a grant or other types of help.
Money Advice and Pension Service
Government funded debt advice, budgeting tools, and money advice is provided by the Money and Pensions Service.
Money Helper offers free, impartial help with money online, over the phone on 0800 138 7777 or on WhatsApp on 07701 342 744.
Debt Advice
You can access free, confidential, regulated debt advice through Step Change Debt Charity or call them on 0800 138 1111.
You could also contact National Debtline by webchat or call them on 0808 808 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm, and Saturday, 9:30am to 1pm).
In Lincolnshire, Citizens Advice organisations deliver telephone and face to face debt support as part of national commission. This can be accessed locally through Debt helpline 0800 240 4420 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Help with Food
The Greater Lincolnshire Food Partnership has collated a list of food banks where people can get support. To find a foodbank in your area, visit their website.
In addition, there is a Holiday Food and Activity programme for children eligible for benefits related free school meals.
Household Support Fund
Lincolnshire has been allocated £5.5m for the second round of the Household Support Fund. More than half of this money has already been passed to schools and early years providers to support eligible pupils. These families were provided with a one-off payment to help with food bills as and when needed.
For further information see our Household Support Fund Grant page.
Discretionary Housing Payments
Discretionary Housing Payments may be awarded in special circumstances to provide additional financial help with housing costs – payments are normally only for a limited period only.
See our Discretionary payments page to read about the payments and if you would be eligible.
Council Tax Support
Households on low income, with under £16,000 savings or capital (unless in receipt of Pension Credit), may qualify for a discount from their Council Tax bill. To find out if they are entitled, they can use GOV.UK's benefits calculators.
Wellbeing Lincs
Wellbeing Lincs is a countywide service supporting adults across Lincolnshire to achieve confident, fulfilled, and independent lives.
Wellbeing Lincs will identify opportunities for help with finances, mobility, healthcare and social outreach to help you build yourself back up again, boost your confidence and promote independent living.
They will:
- offer information and advice on housing, health and money management
- help you identify and access education, training or work
- help you access a wide range of local services and organisations
- develop a personal support plan and work with you for up to 12 weeks to help you resolve your identified needs
- co-ordinate the work of other organisations to make sure they help you with what you need
- facilitate and ease discharge and resettlement from hospital by ensuring support arrangements are in place at home
To be eligible you have to meet at least four of the following criteria:
- unable to manage long term health or medical conditions
- regularly visit the GP for the same medical condition or for non-medical reasons
- unplanned hospitalisation or A&E attendance in the last 90 days
- accessed social care services in the last 12 months including: assessment, day care, home care, re-ablement or residential care services
- bereavement (spouse or partner) or divorce in the past 12 months
- had a fall in the past three months, either at home or away from the home
- unable to manoeuvre around the home safely
- lacks social support and/or interaction with family, friends or carers, or feels isolated
- feel stressed, depressed or anxious
- unable to sustain work, education, training or volunteering
- unable to manage money or in considerable debt
- poor lifestyle management and behaviours which impact on overall health and wellbeing.
- aged over 65 years old
Call 01522 782140.
Connect to Support
Connect to Support Lincolnshire is an online information, advice library and community directory for adults in Lincolnshire. It offers signposting to groups, activities, and support within local communities on topics such as:
- health and wellbeing
- housing and independence at home
- carers
- getting out and about (travel and mobility)
- volunteering and community
- safeguarding
- money and legal matters
Telephone support and live web chat to help people navigate support is available Monday to Friday, 2pm to 7pm on 0300 3030 8789.
Help for households
Households are facing rising goods and energy prices, inflation and cost of living pressures after the pandemic and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. We know people are worried so the government is offering help for households. See what cost of living support you could be eligible for by visiting the Governments website.
Mental Heath Helpline
If you’re feeling low, anxious or stressed and you think that talking to another person may help you cope, you can call the new mental health helpline in Lincolnshire which is open 24/7 at 0800 001 4331.
Love Food Hate Waste
There’s nothing like meal times to help us get creative and get together with people we love. Saving food does a lot more than just saving money – and every single slice of bread, potato and chicken breast saved makes a difference. It's good for our communities, our country and our planet, as well as our pockets.
For top tips on how to waste less food and save money visit the Love Food Hate Waste website which has lots of stories and advice.
Green and Sustainable Living
There are a number of project and grants schemes available for boiler upgrades, Green Homes Grants, home owner upgrade grants and the Lincs 4 Warmer homes.