Cost of living support

Warm welcome locations

As it turns colder, a number of public buildings have opened their doors to help people keep warm and provide a friendly, safe and comfortable place. The offer at each venue will vary, but may include opportunities to meet other people, have a hot drink or warm meal, take part in activities, learn new things and make use of free internet access. You can also access a range of information, support and guidance on issues such as energy saving, wellbeing, money and budgeting.

A full list of warm welcome locations is available by visiting warm welcome

Register your venue as a warm space

Complete the warm welcome contact form 

You may be eligible for a 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 a number of ways:

• Hinckley Area Foodbank (hinckleyarea.foodbank.org.uk)
  Food bank for those struggling
• Hinckley Community Fridge (neighbourly.com)
  A volunteer led community fridge located in the Children and Family Wellbeing Centre on Granville Road, Hinckley, LE10 0PP
• Olio (olioex.com) (App)
  A food sharing app that aims to reduce food waste
• Togood2go (toogoodtogo.co.uk)
  A food sharing app that aims to reduce food waste

• 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
• Central Access Point (leicspart.nhs.uk) - Anyone needing mental health support for themselves or others can call this service on 0808 800 3302, 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• 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.