Cost of living support

Find out what support is available to help with the cost of living. This includes income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing and travel.

Announcements

You may get Cost of Living Payments between spring 2023 and spring 2024 if you're a pensioner or you get low-income or disability benefits. Find out about the Cost of Living Payment.

You may get calls, emails or messages that are pretending to be from a government service or an energy bill support scheme. If you get a message asking for your personal details (for example, bank details or passwords) this could be a scam. Report anything you think is suspicious.

Support with your income

• • Check what benefits and financial support you can get
  • Find out about the Cost of Living Payment - including future payments and how to report if a payment is missing
  • Find out about help you can get from your local council (Household Support Fund)
  • Check if you’re getting the minimum wage
  • Apply for Marriage Allowance
  • Apply for Carer’s Allowance
  • Apply for support with savings if you’re on a low income (Help to Save)
  • Claim tax relief on work-related expenses
  • Check if you’re eligible for the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) in Wales - for support with essential costs or living independently

• Apply for Universal Credit

  • Universal Credit in England, Scotland and Wales
  • Universal Credit in Northern Ireland

• Apply for Pension Credit if you’re on a low income

  • Pension Credit in England, Scotland and Wales
  • Pension Credit in Northern Ireland

• Apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) if you’re unemployed

  • ‘New style’ JSA in England, Scotland and Wales
  • ‘New style’ JSA in Northern Ireland

• Support with managing your money

  • Get support with making a budget on the Citizen's Advice website
  • Check how you can deal with your debts
  • Use the Which Money Health Check tool to find ways to save money
  • Use the MoneyHelper service for free, confidential and impartial advice

Support if you’re disabled

• • Check what benefits and financial support you can get
  • Find out about the Cost of Living Payment - including future payments and how to report if a payment is missing
  • Apply for a free or discounted TV Licence if you're over 75, blind or in residential care

• Apply for Universal Credit if you’re disabled

  • Universal Credit if you’re disabled in England, Scotland or Wales
  • Universal Credit in Northern Ireland

• Apply for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

  • ‘New style’ ESA in England, Scotland and Wales
  • ‘New style’ and ‘Contribution based’ ESA in Northern Ireland

• Support with living costs if you’re disabled

  • Apply for Attendance Allowance if you’re state pension age
  • Apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales
  • Apply for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Northern Ireland
  • Apply for Adult Disability Payment in Scotland

• Support with home improvements and equipment if you’re disabled

  • Apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant to make improvements to your home in England or Wales
  • Find out about support with home improvements and equipment in Scotland
  • Apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant to make improvements to your home in Northern Ireland

• Support to get or stay in work

  • Apply for Access to Work in England, Scotland and Wales - support at work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability
  • Find advice about starting or staying in work in Northern Ireland - for support if you have a health condition or disability

• Support with travel costs if you’re disabled

  • Apply for a disabled person’s railcard from National Rail
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in England
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in Scotland
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in Wales
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in Northern Ireland

• Support if your child is disabled

  • Apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
  • Apply for Child Disability Payment in Scotland

Support with your bills

• • Check what benefits and financial support you can get
  • Find out about help you can get from your local council (Household Support Fund)

• Support with your utility bills

  • Find out how the Energy Price Guarantee limits your energy prices
  • Find out about the Cost of Living Payment - including future payments and how to report if a payment is missing
  • Find out how the Energy Bills Support Scheme lowers your energy bills - including how to claim if you’ve got a prepayment meter
  • Find out about the Winter Fuel Payment and Pensioner Cost of Living Payment - for winter 2022 to 2023
  • Find out about the Wales fuel support scheme - ends 31 January 2023
  • Find out about the Warm Home Discount Scheme - opens 14 November 2022
  • Apply for the Cold Weather Payment
  • Find out how to understand and reduce your energy bills on the Citizens Advice website
  • Find out how to reduce your water bill and financial support you may be able to get

• Support with your TV and internet bills

  • Apply for a free or discounted TV Licence if you're over 75, blind or in residential care
  • Find out if you can get cheaper phone and broadband on the Ofcom website

• Support with your Council Tax

  • Apply for a Council Tax reduction in England, Scotland and Wales
  • Find out about support for your rates if you’re on a low income in Northern Ireland
  • Find out about support for your rates if you’re an older person in Northern Ireland
  • Contact your council for help with housing costs and Council Tax

• Support with your prescriptions and health costs

  • Check if you’re eligible for support with prescriptions and health costs
  • Find out about support with health costs in England and Wales
  • Find out about support with health costs in Scotland
  • Find out about support with health costs in Northern Ireland

• Apply for a Budgeting Loan if you’re claiming benefits

  • Budgeting Loans in England, Scotland and Wales
  • Social Fund Budgeting Loan in Northern Ireland

Support with your childcare costs

• • Check what benefits and financial support you can get
  • Check what help you could get with childcare costs
  • Apply for Child Benefit
  • Apply for Maternity Allowance
  • Apply for support with childcare costs for children 11 or under (Tax-Free Childcare)
  • Claim back childcare costs if you get Universal Credit
  • Find out about the Scottish Child Payment for children under 16

• Support with childcare for children aged 2 to 4

  • Apply for free childcare for children aged 2 in England
  • Apply for free childcare for children aged 2 to 4 in Scotland
  • Apply for 15 hours free childcare for children aged 3 to 4 in England
  • Apply for 30 hours free childcare for children aged 3 to 4 in England
  • Apply for free childcare for children aged 3 to 4 in Wales

• Support with your school costs (for example, equipment and uniforms)

  • Apply for support with school uniform costs in Scotland
  • Apply for support with school costs in Wales
  • Apply for support with school uniform costs in Northern Ireland
  • Find out about the Education Maintenance Allowance in Northern Ireland

• Support with school meal costs

  • Apply for free school meals in England
  • Apply for free school meals in Scotland
  • Apply for free school meals in Wales
  • Apply for free school meals in Northern Ireland

• Support with school transport costs

  • Apply for support with school transport costs in England
  • Apply for support with school transport costs in Scotland
  • Apply for support with school transport costs in Northern Ireland

• Support with your childcare costs if your child is disabled

  • Apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
  • Apply for Child Disability Payment in Scotland

• Support with food and milk for your child

  • Apply for Healthy Start vouchers
  • Apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods in Scotland

• Support with your maternity costs

  • Apply for the Maternity Grant (Sure Start) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
  • Apply for Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods in Scotland

Support with your housing costs

• • Check what benefits and financial support you can get
  • Find out about support with housing costs if you get Universal Credit
  • Apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment
  • Apply for support with interest payments on a mortgage or home improvement loan
  • Contact your council for help with housing costs and Council Tax
  • Check if you’re eligible for the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) in Wales - for support with essential costs or living independently

• Check if you’re eligible for Housing Benefit

  • Apply for Housing Benefit in England and Wales
  • Apply for Housing Benefit in Scotland
  • Apply for Housing Benefit in Northern Ireland

Support with your travel costs

• • Check what benefits and financial support you can get

• Support with your rail costs

  • Apply for a railcard from National Rail to save money on rail journeys
  • Claim 50% off rail journeys from National Rail if you’re on Universal Credit

• Support with your bus costs

  • Apply for an older person’s bus pass in England - if you're state pension age
  • Apply for an older person’s bus pass in Wales - if you’re aged 60 years or over
  • Apply for an older person’s bus pass in Scotland - if you’re aged 60 years or over
  • Apply for an older person’s bus pass in Northern Ireland - if you’re aged 60 years or over
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in England
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in Scotland
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in Wales
  • Apply for a disabled person’s bus pass in Northern Ireland

Support for your business

• • Find out how the Energy Bill Relief and Energy Bill Discount schemes limit the energy prices of your small business - runs between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2024
  • Find out about support to improve the energy performance of your business
  • Find out about support with your energy bills on the Citizens Advice website

If you’re finding things difficult

• • Get support with money and mental health from the Mind website
  • Find free warm spaces being offered by organisations in your area
  • Call the Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to a trained volunteer anonymously for free. Welsh speakers can call 0808 164 0123 between 7pm and 11pm
  • Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 to message with a trained volunteer anonymously for free
  • Call Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for support with domestic abuse
  • Get urgent support with mental health on the NHS website