Advice and practical support with the cost of living including information on welfare benefits and financial support.
At Southdown, our Financial Inclusion team is on hand to support our tenants and people who access our community support services with financial and welfare benefit queries. If you are a tenant of ours or are accessing any of our services and would like more information, please speak to your Housing Officer and/ or Support Worker. In addition, take a look at the information shared on this page.
Take a look at the sections below for information on welfare benefits and other financial support available. You may also find this online benefits calculator useful if you have a change in circumstance or you would like to check that you are getting everything you are entitled to.
Universal Credit is replacing the following six ‘legacy’ benefits: Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-related Employment & Support Allowance, Income-related Jobseeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits. You don’t have to do anything now but if you are still in receipt of one these benefits then you can expect to be moved to Universal Credit at some point in the near future.
You can no longer make a new claim for these benefits (with some exceptions for Housing Benefit). You will need to claim Universal Credit instead.
Always check that you won’t be worse off if you make a claim for Universal Credit.
Claiming Universal Credit is usually done online here. If you need support, you can call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
Useful links:
You may be able to get additional money if you have a health condition that affects your day to day living, or mobility. PIP is not means-tested, and is paid in addition to your other benefits. You will need to complete a form, and are likely to have a face to face assessment.
Useful links:
You may still be able to make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you are state pension age, or are living in Supported, sheltered or temporary accommodation.
If you are a Southdown tenant or client of any of our services, please ask your Housing Officer and/ or Support Worker if you are unsure whether to claim Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
If you are in receipt of benefits, or on a low income, you may be able to get help towards the cost of your Council Tax.
If you are pregnant or have children under the age of four you can get free Healthy Start vouchers or payments every four weeks to spend on things like milk, fruit and vegetables.
You can find your local Food Bank here.
County Councils across Sussex have pulled together information on support available in local communities as the cost of living increases.
Knowing what you spend, and the money you have coming in is the first step to taking control of your finances. As well as listing your household bills, keep a spending diary for a month to keep track of all the little extras that you spend money on. You will then be able to create a more realistic budget.
Budgeting doesn’t have to be difficult or tedious. It is about finding a way that suits you. Some people like to use an app on their phone, some a spreadsheet, and some just use post-it notes on their fridge!
There are several online budgeting tools and mobile phone apps. Take a look at examples of these on the Citizens Advice website and Money Helper.
Check with your supplier that you are on their cheapest tariff. Due to the current uncertainty around fuel supply, it is probably best to wait before shopping around for a better deal. Always send in regular meter readings. Otherwise, your supplier will use estimated bills which could be higher than the amount that you actually owe. If you are in receipt of certain benefits, you may be entitled to a Warm Home Discount.
Southdown is unable to provide expert debt advice but your Support Worker will be able to signpost you to the most appropriate place. In addition, if you would like support to deal with your debts, please see below links to resources that can help:
Debt support:
StepChange offer a free helpline: 0800 980 8270
John (name changed) came to his appointment with one of our Financial Inclusion Workers with lots of paperwork (bills, benefits etc), feeling overwhelmed and needing support with his budgeting. He had an overpayment of Council Tax Support and an escalating credit card debt.
An initial benefit check identified a missing Severe Disability Premium on his benefits. We also looked at how the Council Tax overpayment had occurred. The client made notes throughout the appointment and made the phone calls himself. We sorted through his bills and he was provided with a budget template.
A few months later, John reported that he had received a backpayment of £4,600 for his Severe Disability Premium. This meant that he could pay off his Council Tax overpayment and his credit card debt. In addition, he was £67.30 per week better off and was finding it much easier to budget for his everyday expenses. He is also now accessing therapy that he had not previously been able to afford.