Important costs like gas, electricity, fuel and food are rising steeply. It's a real worry and is affecting many people across the country. We've pulled together some advice, tips and resources to support you. This page will be updated regularly with the latest advice and help for you.
If you have just moved into your home, we know that money and costs will be on your mind. We have a moving in section and a checklist of things to do, useful services, support and how everything works to help you settle into your home. You can see that advice and support here: Moving in checklist (plusdane.co.uk)
Sometimes things can get out of control and you may need urgent help. There is help available through each local council if you're in a crisis situation:
Every three months, the energy regulator Ofgem reviews and set a level on how much an energy supplier can charge for each unit of energy – this is called the energy price cap, and is in the news a lot, as these changes have resulted in higher bills in recent times.
If you're falling behind with your energy bills, and finding yourself struggling to pay, the best thing to do is contact your supplier as soon as possible. Under Ofgem rules, your supplier has to help you, usually by negotiating a payment plan that you can afford. So don't panic – your supply won't be cut off.
Martin Lewis has a detailed advice page to help if you're worried or struggling to pay your energy bills.
National Energy Action (NEA) can also help. They offer a free support to people in England and Wales to help with their energy bills and keeping warm and safe in their home.
If you find it difficult to pay your energy bills, whether you pay monthly or have a pre-payment meter, visit the Fuelbank Foundation, who have lots of information to help you.
You can also check if you're eligible to apply for an energy fund:
We've also pulled together some energy saving tips to help you keep bills lower.
If you’re struggling to pay for food, find your local foodbank. The Trussell Trust has more than1,200 foodbanks across the country.
There are also local social supermarkets available, offering groceries, toiletries and household items at a very low cost.
Have a look at our map of foodbanks and social supermarkets across Cheshire and Merseyside. We'll update this regularly as we find more.
Check out the Too Good To Go app - it's an app where you can order unsold food from restaurants and supermarkets - get value for money and fight food waste!
If you're looking for budget friendly recipes, there are plenty online, with most supermarkets like Asda and Tesco, BBC Food, Jamie Oliver and many others on hand with ideas to help your food go further.
For the last couple of years, the government made a number of automatic cost of living payments to those who were eligible. The last payments were in spring this year, and the scheme is not being continued.
Visit the government’s cost of living support page for more help and information.
The government has announced (2024) changes to winter fuel payment. The government intends for payments to be means tested. Therefore, people not in receipt of pension credit or other means-tested benefits, will no longer receive winter fuel payments, starting from this winter.
Contact our Welfare team who can help you check if you are eligible for Pension Credit. You must apply before 21 December to get this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.
Call 0800 1692988 and ask to speak to the Welfare team or email: FinancialIndependence.Team@plusdane.co.uk
If you do receive a Pension Credit then you should still get the winter fuel payment in 2024. Read below for eligibility:
If you were born before September 25 1957, you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a Winter Fuel Payment.
Most people get this automatically if you’re eligible. You should receive a letter in October or November to tell you how much you will get, and be paid in November or December.
If you don’t get a letter but you think you’re eligible, check if you need to make a claim.
You could also get:
Are you a Plus Dane customer, looking for quick and easy support to help with your energy bills this winter?
We have partnered with Lightning Reach who can help reduce your bills in just 15 minutes…
We know it can be tempting to avoid talking about money concerns but the sooner people act the better. Our Welfare Team can offer you help and advice on a wide range of money matters - nobody has to struggle alone. Call 0800 169 2988, use our live chat service or contact us via our mobile app.
Try our Benefits Calculator to help you figure out what you may be entitled to - it's worth checking with the recent changes in Universal Credit.
We also have a Budgeting Tool to help you maximise your income and keep track of your outgoings. This is always the first step in managing your finances and taking control of your money.
We have been saving customers thousands of pounds by joining up with a social enterprise that specialises in finding the best deals on a range of household bills. Pocket Power describes itself as “on a mission to put money back in people’s pockets” by providing a free phone service to help switch to cheaper deals and discounts on household bills.
The service is ideal for those who are not tech savvy, don’t have internet access, or don’t have the time to look around for cheaper deals. You can arrange an appointment with Pocket Power by contacting engagement&partnerships@plusdane.co.uk or 0800 169 2988.
You can also try My Money Health Check from Which? – A free tool for anybody looking for ways that may help them save money during the cost of living crisis. Visit: My Money Health Check - free Which? tool
Martin Lewis has a detailed section on his MoneySavingExpert website covering budgeting and debt help, and how to deal with the Cost of Living crisis.
The Government-backed MoneyHelper website offers free, impartial advice on all things money related - from pensions to budgeting and managing debt.
Have a look at Turn 2 Us - a website helping people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help.
Make sure your home is insured to cover items such as furniture, clothes, electrical items, jewellery and home decor. Home insurance will cover the cost of these items if anything ever goes wrong in your home - saving a large amount of money! You can find more information about home insurance here.
We have been saving customers thousands of pounds by joining up with a social enterprise that specialises in finding the best deals on a range of household bills. Pocket Power describes itself as “on a mission to put money back in people’s pockets” by providing a free phone service to help switch to cheaper deals and discounts on household bills.
The service is ideal for those who are not tech savvy, don’t have internet access, or don’t have the time to look around for cheaper deals.
You can arrange an appointment with Pocket Power by contacting engagement&partnerships@plusdane.co.uk or 0800 169 2988.
Most water companies offer two types of discounts for people on low income - social tariffs which reduce bills by 50-90% and WaterSure which caps bills at around £420 if you have a medical condition that requires high water usage of you are a large family. Contact your water supplier to apply (we are also able to make applications for people to these schemes).
Consider a water meter. These are free to install and can reduce water bills by 9-20%.
Apply for free water saving gadgets from www.getwaterfit.co.uk - you will receive a bundle of gadgets such as a device to put on a shower head to reduce the amount of water flow without any noticeable difference.
Support for wiping debt on your water bills is available from Trust Funds and payment matching schemes offered by water companies. Contact your water supplier to find out more (we are also able to help make applications for these schemes).
Energy costs have doubled in the last two years. Some fixed deals are starting to return which provides the comfort of knowing how much you will pay each month, but the energy price cap is set to reduce during 2024 so it may be better to stay on this. For the latest info on fixed deals and the price cap click here.
We have dedicated a whole separate page on ways to save money on energy which you can find here.
If you claim benefits you may well be eligible for a broadband social tariff which can reduce your bills by around 50%. Currently, only 5% of those who are eligible are claiming this discount. Contact your supplier to find out more (we are also able to help switch people to social tariffs).
Avoid changing provider mid contract as there are often early exit fees.
Make sure you are on the right speed - some providers try to encourage more expensive deals for higher speeds when in reality they will make little difference. We find that around 66 Mbps works best for most people (large families or high usage homes may need up to 100-150 Mbps)
Make sure you are buying the right amount of data - again, providers can often try to upsell this when it’s not needed. The average person in the UK uses 5 GB. You can check your actual data usage in your phone settings.
Avoid changing provider mid contract as there are often early exit fees.
Once you are out of contract, consider moving to a SIM only deal - these can be as little as £5 a month for 4BG of data.
Alternatively, consider buying a second hand and refurbished phone which can come with guarantees and are also better for the environment. Back Market and Envirofone are good sites
For car insurance there are a few things to help reduce your costs. Firstly, never auto-renew - always haggle and look around for better deals. The ideal time to start looking and talking to providers is 3-4 weeks before your contract ends. Adding an experienced driver to the policy can reduce the premium by £100s. Finally, tweaking your job description can result in large savings - us this link to find out the best way to describe your job
We recommend that you take out personal contents insurance to protect the things that matter to you the most. While many people often hope that nothing will happen to their belongings, sometimes things can go wrong unexpectedly.
Housing association customers can use a special contents insurance scheme called My Home, arranged in conjunction with the National Housing Federation, to protect your belongings and gain peace of mind knowing if the unexpected happens you are covered. The My Home Scheme can cover most of your household goods and contents whilst in your home, such as furniture, TV, clothing, carpets, and electrical items. For more information visit www.thistlemyhome.co.uk.
In the colder months, if you’re concerned about heating and energy costs and are cold at home, you could benefit from the network of warm hubs that open across Merseyside and Cheshire.
These hubs provide a place to get warm, and many also provide a hot drink, food, activities and a place to have a chat too. We've created an interactive map to help you to find your nearest one.
You can also visit Warm Welcome, where you'll find spaces in all different shapes and sizes, from a homework club in a local church on a Tuesday, to over an over 65s community centre drop-in on a Wednesday and library co-working desk open all weekend. Just enter your postcode and requirements to find the right Space for you!
If you're struggling to cope with the rising cost of living, there is help available - you don't need to struggle and suffer in silence.
If you have money worries, then our Welfare team can support you to access all of the benefits that you are entitled to, help you manage your household budget, and signpost you to any other support you may wish to access. The important thing to do is make sure that you get in touch with us. If you are worried that you might be falling into arrears then give us a call on 0800 169 2988 (during office hours) and discuss your situation with us; if you’re having problems then we can try to help you if you let us know.
We have a range of support services in place to help anyone who might be struggling, including support to access employment and training opportunities, or if you are feeling isolated or lonely. You can find more information about these services on our website here, or by calling the number above.
If you feel like you're struggling with your mental health Mind UK are here to help, with a range of resources available.
Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s paid monthly. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work, you cannot work or depending on the make-up of your household.
We are currently in the transition period from benefits to Universal Credit, called Managed Migration. Everyone of working age will have to move over to Universal credit by the end of 2024. However, you can move over sooner if you are better off on UC.
Click here to visit our dedicated Benefits Advice page with the latest information, support and guidance.
Pension Credit gives you extra money to help with your living costs if you’re over State Pension age and on a low income.
Contact our Welfare team who can help you check if you are eligible for Pension Credit.
NOTE: You must apply for Pension Credit before 21 December 2024 to get this year’s Winter Fuel Payment. See changes to this payment HERE
Call 0800 1692988 and ask to speak to the Welfare team or email: FinancialIndependence.Team@plusdane.co.uk
With the increasing cost of energy, it’s worth knowing that according to the Energy Saving Trust, on average, 16% of a household’s energy bill is from heating water for activities such as baths, showers, washing up and water-using electrical appliances.
Most people don’t realise that on average, each person uses around 142 litres of water every single day – that’s enough to make over 450 cups of tea! So it really adds up.
So small changes to the way we use water at home can make a big difference to reducing your energy bill. Keep an eye out for leaky loos, turn the tap off when your brushing your teeth and try to spend one minute less in the shower.
United Utilities have some great tips and resources to help you save water and money.
If you're using United Utilities and are struggling with debt, they have help on offer and you can apply for their Trust Fund here.
Criminals are increasingly trying to capitalise on the cost of living crisis by targeting households with fake offers of rebates, grants and support payments. But official Government support payments are usually automatic, so if you get a request for information out of the blue via text, email, or phone call – be wary.
Are you a Plus Dane customer, looking for quick and easy support to help with your energy bills this winter?
We have partnered with Lightning Reach who can help reduce your bills in just 15 minutes…
Lightning Reach is a free, secure online portal that helps you find and apply for financial assistance - all in one place. Whether you need help covering rising energy costs, making your home more energy-efficient, or affording winter essentials, Lightning Reach is here to connect you with the support you need.
Lightning Reach matches users to over 2,500 schemes from charities, organisations, and councils across the UK, with successful applicants receiving £1,070 on average*.
Here’s how it works:
Lightning Reach uses modern, secure technology to protect your information, ensuring your details and documents are kept safe.
Sign up for Lightning Reach today to see how much you could save on your energy bills this winter.
Visit: https://www.lightningreach.org/application-portal?referral=plusdane
Three of our partner organisations talk to us about the cost of living, support and what they are seeing. Check out our video below:
