Cost of living support

Starting this winter (2024/25), you'll only be able to get a winter fuel payment if you're over state pension age and receive certain benefits.

Visit winter fuel payments - eligibility to find out:

• If you are eligible
• How to apply

As the increase in the cost of living continues to have a real impact on residents throughout the Borough, the Welfare Support Service is available to offer advice and provide support if you have financial concerns. The Welfare Support Service works closely with residents in a holistic way, to enable them to access the most appropriate support including emergency food provision, grants and funds, benefits eligibility, income maximisation, and budgeting help.

If you have been financially affected by the cost of living crisis or have any financial concerns, the Welfare Support Service is here to support you. You can contact the Welfare Support Team through our cost of living contact form or by phone on 01455 238141. 

As it turns colder, community venues around the borough are offering residents a warm welcome to ensure that everyone knows where they can go to meet other people, have a hot drink, and keep warm. There may also be opportunities to have a snack or a light meal, take part in activities such as crafts or playing board games, and to make use of computers or free Wi-Fi. You can also access information, support and guidance on issues such as energy efficiency, wellbeing, money and budgeting. View our list of warm welcome locations for full details.

Add your organisation’s warm welcome offer to our directory: complete our warm welcome contact form

You can find more community sheltered spaces at centres for warmth (cadentgas.com)

Apply for the warm welcome provision grant

Voluntary, community and charity organisations offering Warm Welcome sessions can check eligibility criteria and apply for the warm welcome provision grant

Information and advice on which benefits and financial support you may be able to receive.

Council tax exemptions:

• Are you eligible for council tax discounts or any exemptions?

Household support fund

The household support fund is administered by Leicestershire County Council and is designed to support residents who are most in need. You may be eligible for support, including help with food and energy costs. 

Cost of living payments – you may be entitled to three cost of living payments if you receive certain benefits. All pensioner households will also receive a £300 payment alongside this year’s winter fuel payment. More information: Cost of living payments 2023 to 2024 (GOV.UK)

If you are a Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council tenant and are struggling to pay your monthly rent, please contact the Rents service: Tenancy management contact form

Homeless

If you're homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, our Housing Options service can provide advice and support: Homelessness.

You can also contact Shelter: Homelessness advice (shelter.org.uk)

Help for those on low incomes with their rent payments: Apply for help paying rent

Discretionary housing payments

Help for people who are already receiving housing benefit or housing costs in their universal credit payments, but are struggling to pay their rent: About discretionary housing payments

Disabled facilities grant

To get an assessment to see if you can get help with adapting your property, contact Adult Social Care on 0116 305 004 Disabled Facilities Grants: Overview (GOV.UK)
 

Some residents are entitled to support, or deductions in their council tax bill, for example: those with adaptations, students, care leavers and people living alone.

Council tax support 

Help for those on a low income with their council tax charge: Apply for help paying council tax

Discretionary discount fund

Help for those already in receipt of council tax support that are struggling to pay their council tax: About the discretionary discount fund

Council tax reduction: this is help for those who are disabled and need adaptions in their property: Council tax discounts for disabled people

If you are struggling to feed yourself and your family, you can access support in the following way:

• Food support across the borough

• Community pet food bank – telephone 07345 016941 or visit community pet food bank (facebook.com)
• Foodbank for hungry pets (leicestermercury.co.uk) – foodbank providing meals for animals
• Dogzdinner (facebook.com)

Do you have debt? Get advice on how to move forward with your debt:

• Citizens Advice (citizensadviceleicestershire.org) - Debt and money advice 
• StepChange (stepchange.org) - StepChange debt charity offering free expert debt advice
• Zinthiya Trust (zinthiyatrust.org) - Money, debt, benefits and energy service

Trust funds are to help those who are in debt to help reduce or clear it. To be able to access these trust funds you must have had debt advice. Funds:

• British Gas Trust Fund (britishgasenergytrust.org.uk) - This is help for British Gas customers and for any customers whose energy supplier doesn’t have a trust fund
• EDF Trust Fund (charisgrants.com)
• Eon Next Trust Fund (eonnextenergyfund.com)

Help towards the cost of running your household, this includes water and heating costs.

• Warm home discount (GOV.UK)
• Winter fuel payment (GOV.UK)
• Big Difference (bigdiff.co.uk) - Severn Trent trust fund Big Difference scheme
• Cost of living help guide (moneysavingexpert.com)
• MoneySavingExpert (moneysavingexpert.com)

If the cost of living is impacting on your health and wellbeing, there are free and confidential support services that can help:

• Samaritans (samaritans.org) - Support for anyone that may need someone to talk to
• Mental Health Central Access Point (leicspart.nhs.uk) - You can call this service on NHS 111 and select mental health option two, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This telephone number is free and confidential. You can also text 0748 063 5199 and they will aim to get back to you within 12 hours
• Mental Health Matters (mhm.org.uk) - Help and support for mental health
• Mind (mind.org.uk) - A charity that aims to support people experiencing mental health problems  
• Silverline (thesilverline.org.uk) - A 24-hour helpline to support older people across the UK
• CALM (thecalmzone.net) - Mental health support
• Refuge (refuge.org.uk): Support for women who have experienced domestic abuse

Contact our Welfare Support Service: cost of living contact form

The UK government has launched help for households (GOV.UK) to provide a range of support.