Countries around the world are facing rising goods and energy prices, inflation and cost of living pressures. The rising cost of living is affecting everybody in different ways. The government is providing £37 billion this year to help households combat the rising cost of living. See what cost of living support you could be eligible for.

Universal Credit

If you are working age and already claim benefits, you may be better off if you move to Universal Credit www.gov.uk/universal-credit or call 0800 328 5644

Pension Credit

Help with Council Tax and free TV licences over the age of 75. To check if you, or a family member might be entitled, visit www.gov.uk/ pension-credit-calculator or call 0800 99 1234

Housing Benefit

If you are pension-age live in rented accommodation and are on a low income you may be able to claim help with your rent via www.havant.gov.uk/benefits/housing-benefit

Council Tax Support

If you pay Council Tax and are on a low income you may be able to claim Council Tax Support. Find out more at www.havant.gov.uk/benefits/council-tax-support

Discretionary Housing Payments

If you are in private rented or Housing Association accommodation and your rent is not covered in full by Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit, the council has limited funding to support some shortfalls www.havant.gov.uk/ benefits/housing-benefit/discretionary-housing-payments

For more general benefit advice, visit www.gov.uk/welfare or call us on 023 9244 6019

Housing

If you need other housing advice or are homeless or at risk of being made homeless, the Housing Advice and Prevention Team can provide help and support. You can contact them on 029 9244 6379 or visit www.havant.gov.uk/housing/housing-advice-and-homelessness

Managing your money

If you are struggling with managing your money or need advice about financial support and benefits, the following organisations may be able to help. The important thing is not to delay in making contact so you can get the advice you need.

Citizens Advice Havant

A free service offering confidential, independent, impartial advice to people who live or work in the Havant borough. Go to www.citizensadvicehavant.org or call:

Citizens Advice Havant Admin - 02394 200 006

Adviceline - 0808 278 7809

Connect to Support Hampshire

Have links to organisations that can help with a wide range of money-related issues including debt, emergency food and keeping your home warm. Visit www.connecttosupporthampshire.org.uk

Money Advice Service

Free and impartial money advice www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

The Government have a dedicated website with details of all the help available for households

Housing Benefit - is money you may be able to claim to help pay the rent for your home.

You can make a claim if you have reached state pension age or living in supported accommodation, have a low income from your pensions, benefits or work, including self-employment, and have less than £16,000 in savings. To make a claim visit Housing Benefit.

Council Tax Support - is a benefit to help some people pay their council tax.

You should apply straightaway if you think you are eligible for council tax support as it is not always possible to backdate payments. To learn more about this and make a claim, visit Council Tax Support.

Discretionary Housing Payments - If you have been awarded housing benefit, or are in receipt of the housing element of universal credit but the award is less than your eligible rent or council tax, and you are finding it difficult to make up the shortfall, you may be entitled to some extra help.

The council can award a discretionary housing payment (DHP) where someone needs extra help.

For more on DHP’s and on how to apply, please visit Discretionary Housing Payments.

Homelessness - If you can't meet your mortgage repayment and are starting to fall behind, it is important that you contact your lender as soon as possible. You can also get free independent advice and information from Housing Services at Havant Borough Council about how to keep your home.

Havant Borough Council has a legal duty to help people who are homeless or about to lose their home. If you have no home or have been asked to leave your current home within 28 days, our Housing options team can provide you with help and support.

The Connect4Communities programme

The Connect4Communities programme (funded by the Department for Work and Pensions Household Support Fund) helps support those most in need with significantly rising living costs, particularly families with children and pensioners who would otherwise struggle with energy, food and water bills.

Community Pantries

Community pantries provide groceries at a lower cost than supermarkets or shops, offering a range of fresh, frozen and general foods which will change on a weekly basis.

There are now 21 community pantries that have been set up across Hampshire providing access to discounted food.

Support for Utility Costs

Funds have been allocated to support the most vulnerable households in Hampshire with their fuel costs. Families with children on low incomes, pensioners and single householders on fixed incomes will be able to access direct financial support to pay gas, water and/or electricity bills.

This will be available through the local Citizens Advice Service in each locality alongside broader support and advice.

More information about support for utility costs will be available from your local Citizens Advice office.

This is a service offered by utility providers if you are vulnerable. You could be eligible if you:

  • have reached your state pension age
  • are disabled or have a long-term medical condition
  • are recovering from an injury
  • have a hearing or sight condition
  • have a mental health condition
  • are pregnant or have young children
  • have extra communication needs, such as if you don’t speak or read English well

You might still be able to register for other reasons if your situation isn’t listed. For example, if you need short-term support after a stay in hospital. 

Help you can get

  • Priority support in an emergency - operators could provide help if you are cut off supply
  • Extra warnings if supply is interrupted
  • Create a password, so if someone from a utility company visits you, you can make sure it’s definitely them
  • Help with your meters or readings
  • Accessible formats for bills such as large print or braille

Water - register now with your provider

Gas or electricity - register now with your provider

These are provided by the company which owns the electricity or gas network. It will not always be the company you pay your gas or electricity bills to.

Funding towards childcare costs

Tax-Free Childcare can be used to pay for holiday clubs, before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, and other approved childcare schemes. It is available to families with children up to the age of 11, or 17 if their child has a disability. The government will pay 20% of childcare costs up to a value of £2,000 per child per year (£4,000 for disabled children). To find out more - and to check you are eligible - visit the government's Help for Households site.

Cost of Living

There are extra payments to help with the cost of living if you're entitled to certain benefits or tax credits, including the Disability Cost of Living Payment, Pensioner Cost of Living Payment and more. To find out if you're eligible and how to apply visit the Cost of Living Payment section on the Gov.uk website.

Support for mortgage interest

If you’re a homeowner, you might be able to get help towards interest payments on your mortgage, loans you’ve taken out for certain repairs and improvements to your home. This help is called Support for Mortgage Interest. Visit the Support for Mortgage Interest section on the Gov.uk website to find out if you are eligible and for information on how to apply.

Energy bills national support scheme

Over the past year, global energy prices have soared which has led to an unprecedented rise in household energy bills. This winter millions of households across the UK will receive non-repayable discounts on their energy bills. Households will start receiving £400 off energy bills from October, with the discount made in instalments to help families throughout the winter period. To find out if you are eligible for the scheme and how the discount will be applied, visit the Energy Bills Support Scheme section on the Gov.uk website.

Energy Bill Relief Scheme

The new Government Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for all non-domestic customers (including all UK businesses, the voluntary sector like charities and the public sector such as schools and hospitals).

The announcement follows the launch of the Energy Price Guarantee for households in Great Britain, under which a typical household will pay on average £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years from 1 October 2022.

This support will be equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households.

The savings will be first seen in October bills, which are typically received in November.

As with the Energy Price Guarantee for households, customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme to access the support.

Support (in the form of a p/kWh discount) will automatically be applied to bills.

To administer support, the Government has set a Supported Wholesale Price – expected to be £211 per MWh for electricity and £75 per MWh for gas, less than half the wholesale prices anticipated this winter – which is a discounted price per unit of gas and electricity.

Breathing Space

Breathing Space, officially called the Debt Respite Scheme, is a government scheme that could help relieve some of the pressure and stress caused by being in debt.

It's a free scheme, launched by the Government on 4 May 2021. If you pass the eligibility checks, your creditors won't be able to add interest or fees to your debts, or take enforcement action, for 60 days. You'll still need to keep making your regular payments if you can afford to. For more details visit the Breathing Space section on the gov.uk website.

 

Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding

 

With energy bills rising, the government is offering support to those who were not eligible for financial help previously

The Government launched the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) to help households in England, Scotland and Wales without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier.

You can get this if you’re not benefiting from the Government Energy Support Scheme (EBSS), where £400 is usually paid through a discount on the energy bill.

Customers who are eligible for support under the main Energy Bills Discount Scheme will not be eligible for EBSS Alternative Funding.

 

Who can apply?

 

You may be eligible to apply if your main home is:

  • a residential park home
  • on a boat on a permanent residential mooring
  • on a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site
  • part of a heat network without an electricity meter
  • in social or private rented accommodation which has a business energy connection or a communal electricity supply
  • off the mains electricity or gas grid
  • in a care home or assisted living facility and you pay for some or all of your care (directly or through loss of pension or other benefits)
  • in a separate domestic home within a non-domestic property (such as a farmhouse or a flat above a shop)

 

 

Who can't apply?

 

You cannot apply for the new EBSS Alternative Funding if you’ve already had the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) payments

 

You also cannot apply if you live:

 

  • in purpose-built student accommodation
  • in a care home where all your fees are paid by the local council or NHS
  • on a boat as a continuous cruiser (currently under review)
  • on a non-permanent caravan or mobile home site (currently under review)
  • in accommodation provided by your employer (such as seasonal workers, ‘service occupiers’, security guards, building caretakers)
  • in a building where you are acting as a property guardian
  • in business premises, such as a pub or hotel, where your address is the same as the business address

 

 

How to apply

 

The EBSS Alternative Funding scheme is now open to all eligible households across Great Britain until 31 May 2023.

If you are eligible, you need to fill out an online form on GOV.UK. You can find the form by searching 'apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically' on GOV.UK or on an internet search engine.

Apply for energy bill support if you do not get it automatically - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Applications are made directly to the government, not to Havant Borough Council.

Once you have applied, your application will be processed and verified. After this if your application is successful, your details will be shared with the Council, who will deliver the one-off, non-repayable support. The payment will be made directly into your bank account in a single instalment.

Further information can be found on GOV.UK.

 

Further support

 

If you can’t apply online, or need help with your application, you should contact the Energy Payment helpline team. You can call them on 0808 175 3287. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

If you think you have received a scam message in relation to the EBSS Alternative Funding, you can report this to report@phishing.gov.uk so that action can be taken.

For further information visit: Help for Households - Get government cost of living support

 

Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund

 

With energy bills rising, the government is offering support to those who were not eligible for financial help previously.

The Government launched the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund (AFP AF) to help households in England, Scotland and Wales without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier.

You can get this if you’re not benefiting from the Government Alternative Fuel Payment (AFP), where £200 is usually paid through a discount on the energy bill for households using alternative fuels – such as heating oil, biomass and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) – as the main source of heating.

Customers will not be eligible for both the AFP payment and an AFP Alternative Fund payment.

 

Who can apply?

You may be eligible to apply if you use alternative fuels for heating. Your main home must also be:

  • in a residential park home
  • on a boat on a permanent residential mooring
  • on a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site
  • part of a heat network without an electricity meter
  • in social or private rented accommodation which has a business energy connection or a communal electricity supply
  • off the mains electricity or gas grid
  • part of a business property (such as a farm or a flat above a shop)

 

Who can't apply?

You cannot apply for the new AFP Alternative Fund if you’ve already had the £200 Alternative Fuel Payments

You also cannot apply if you live:

  • in purpose-built student accommodation
  • in a care home
  • on a boat as a continuous cruiser (currently under review)
  • on a non-permanent caravan or mobile home site (currently under review)
  • in accommodation provided by your employer (such as seasonal workers, ‘service occupiers’, security guards, building caretakers)
  • in a building where you’re acting as a property guardian
  • in business premises, such as a pub or hotel, where your address is the same as the business address
  • in business premises, such as a pub or hotel, where your address is the same as the business address

 

How to apply

The AFP Alternative Fund scheme is now open to all eligible households across Great Britain until 31 May 2023.

If you are eligible, you need to fill out an online form on GOV.UK. You can find the form by searching ‘apply for alternative fuel bill support if you do not get it automatically’ on GOV.UK or on an internet search engine.

Apply for alternative fuel bill support if you do not get it automatically - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Applications are made directly to the government, not to Havant Borough Council.

Once you have applied, your application will be processed and verified. After this if your application is successful, your details will be shared with the Council, who will deliver the one-off, non-repayable support. The payment will be made directly into your bank account in a single instalment.

Further information can be found on GOV.UK.

 

Further support

If you can’t apply online, or need help with your application, you should contact the Energy Payment helpline team. You can call them on 0808 175 3287. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

If you think you have received a scam message in relation to the AFP Alternative Fund, you can report this to report@phishing.gov.uk so that action can be taken.

Help for Households - Get government cost of living support

Sometimes when your circumstances change - for example you work less hours, become sick, have high bills to pay or have a relationship breakdown - life seems impossible. Don't let your debt problems get on top of you. We strongly recommended that you seek advice as soon as possible. A list of helpful organisations is available below.

Money Advice Service

You should be aware that there are other companies that charge a fee for managing your debts. It is your responsibility to check the fees that may be charged before asking those companies to act on your behalf.

Energy Support and Advice

Switched On Havant Switched On Havant is run by Portsmouth City Council in partnership with Havant Borough Council to provide Gosport, Havant and Portsmouth residents with a number of ways to save energy, money and carbon. Residents can receive:

  • Free home energy efficiency measures such as air-source heat pumps, home insulation and solar PV.
  • Further help, advice and measures to reduce energy bills.

Through working with a number of organisations, we are able to provide a number of initiatives to help residents save money on their energy bills and improve energy efficiency.

Food Banks

There are a range of food banks across the borough.  A food bank is a non-profitable charitable organisation that can help distribute food to those who have difficulties in purchasing enough to avoid hunger. They may also offer other items, such as toiletries and household supplies.

Food banks are open across the borough for those who need them. A full list of sites are available on the Havant Borough Council website.

Food pantries

Food pantries are to help family budgets go further. They provide groceries at a lower cost than supermarkets or shops, offering a range of fresh, frozen and general foods which will change on a weekly basis. There is a weekly subscription of £5.

Help with clothing

Baby Basics Portsmouth & Havant

Hayling Lions

The Lions Shop offers free school uniforms. Please visit their website for more information.

Mental health support

If you need immediate mental health support, please contact the Samaritans on their 24-hour helpline on 116 123.

If you need urgent help for your mental health, get help from NHS 111 online or call 111.

If you are concerned that someone’s safety or life is in imminent danger, please call 999 immediately.

An online guide of local mental health services providing advice on financial support, bereavement, abuse and more is available on the Havant Borough Council website.

Community Centres, Libraries and Churches across the Havant Borough offer events and activities throughout the week where you can keep warm and socialise.

There are also a range of Food Support organisations - whether you are looking for a hot meal, a food bank referral or help with the cost of the weekly shop, our Community Food Support hub should have the answers.

Age Concern Hampshire

Age Concern Hampshire Information Hub provides information and signposting for older people, their friends, family and carers:

  • Help with online applications for benefits such as the Attendance Allowance or the Blue Badge scheme.
  • Benefits Checks to see if you are claiming what you are entitled to.
  • Form filling assistance
  • Information available on a wide range of topics to support older people.

Get in touch by calling 01962 868545

Community Centres

For a list of Community Centres in the borough, go to: List of community centres

Churches

Havant

St Faith's Church Pallant Centre

St Alban's Church, West Leigh

St Joseph's Church, Havant

St Nicholas Church, Bedhampton

Havant URC, Havant

Hayling Island

The Bridge Church, Hayling

Cowplain

Cowplain Evangelical Church

Emsworth

Emsworth Baptist Church

Leigh Park

Leigh Park Baptist Church

St Francis Church, Leigh Park and St Clare’s Church, Warren Park

Hampshire Libraries

Hampshire Libraries offer a range of free or low-cost resources, events, activities and learning opportunities, and provides a safe and inclusive community space for everyone, with access to free WiFi.

Horizon Leisure Centres

Horizon Café: Great Barista Coffee and Snacks for Pre and Post Workout

Holiday Activities in Hampshire

The Holiday Activities and Food Programme is a government sponsored scheme run by Hampshire County Council, which offers activities and healthy meals to school-age children during school holidays.

Find information about activities in the borough here

connect4communities - A one-stop-shop for local help and support

If you are struggling to pay for necessities like food and fuel, you can use this directory to find sources of local support available in your area. 

Find out more here