Financial Wellbeing

With today's cost of living crisis, may of our NTC families and friends are facing increased financial pressure just to make ends meet.  In order to best support your child, it is important to maintain your own mental health and wellbeing.

On this page we will signpost organisations ready to support.

Find out what support your might be entitled to.  You could get help with your living costs, benefits and other financial support if eligible.

You can get extra support if your health condition or personal circumstances make it difficult when you contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). For example:

• you have dyslexia, autism or cognitive difficulties
• you have reduced mobility or physical disabilities
• you have sensory disabilities, like a visual, hearing or speech impairment
• you have mental health conditions, like depression, stress or anxiety
• you’re experiencing financial hardship - for example you cannot afford essentials like food, bills or rent
• you’re a victim of domestic abuse, including economic abuse
• you’re in hospital

Find out more

Funded by the UK government, the Household Support Fund scheme supports vulnerable Kent households in need of help with significantly rising living costs.

Food

You can try your local food banks or the Salvation Army. If you have children under 5, you can also try your local children's centre for both food and clothes.

Clothes and furniture

You can try the Salvation Army, Freecycle, Gumtree, local Facebook selling pages or your local charity shops. If you have a social worker involved with you or your family, they may look into trying Family Fund with you.

Power and utilities

Speak to your provider first to see if they can offer emergency credit. The British Gas Energy Trust may be able to help, or the Salvation Army.

Energy efficiency or heating grants

• Find out more about the Green Homes Grant by visiting Simple Energy Advice.
• There are schemes and grants to help you make changes to your home, to improve its energy efficiency and environmental impact.
• First time central heating grants enable homeowners on a low income to have gas central heating installed.

Support with energy arrears or debt

Find out whether your energy provider can offer you some help:

• The British Gas Energy Trust
• EDF Energy Trust
• E.ON Energy Fund
• npower Energy Fund
• Scottish Power Hardship Fund
• OVO Energy Fund
• Simple Energy Advice offers impartial and independent advice to help you reduce energy bills and make your home warmer and greener, as well as information for home improvements.
• Age UK offers advice, tips and options for a home energy and benefits check to ensure you have everything that you are entitled to.

Financial advice

• Citizens Advice can help you check for any benefits or financial support to help you with energy bills or allow for you to make energy improvements to your home.
• Energy Saving Trust has lots of information about how to save energy at home and some financial advice.
• Turn2usis a national charity providing financial support to help people get back on track. You can access a benefits calculator and grant search to find charitable funds you may be eligible for.

Other assistance

• You could get £140 off your electricity bill over the winter with the Warm Home Discount Scheme.
• You could get a £25 Cold Weather Payment for each consecutive 7-day period where the average temperature in your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0 degrees Celsius or below.
• People born on or before 5 October 1954 could get a Winter Fuel Payment of between £100 and £300 to help pay heating bills in winter.
• You can have some of your bills paid directly out of your benefits payments if you’re having difficulties, as well as deducting an amount from each payment.
• The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)means that certain energy suppliers will provide tariffs that pay for electricity exported back to the grid.
• For certain technologies, the Renewable Heat Incentive enables you to receive money from government for generating heat from renewable or low carbon sources.

Support if debt is affecting your mental health

The Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space (MHCBS) service can provide protection to those suffering a mental health crisis who are struggling with debt.