Cost of living advice

With inflation hitting 7% in March and significant increases in the energy price cap, we know that the cost of living is a real concern for many households

Most households are having to make adjustments to their budgets and some people will be faced with difficult decisions about their spending.  At Southern Housing Group, we are working hard to provide support for residents who need it and are faced with tough decisions.  Everyone’s situation will be different but if you are struggling with day to day living costs, there are some options you could explore and we have listed them below.

• Contact Southern 360 for support with income maximisation and welfare benefits.  We also have some funding that you might be eligible for to help you in the short term.  You can also check out our helpful UC Tool if you need to apply for Universal Credit and check your benefit entitlements.
• Contact your Local Authority for help and assistance – every Local Authority has a pot of money called the Household Support Fund that you may be eligible for.  This money has been handed down from Central Government with the specific aim of helping people cope with the cost of living crisis we are facing.  It is always worth contacting your Local Authority as they may have other grants or programmes that you could benefit from.
• Contact your energy provider to ask about social tariffs and talk to them about your bills and payments to see if they can help reduce your costs. You may also be eligible for specific advice and support with your energy costs and money saving ideas check out this link for more details https://www.connectforhelp.org.uk/
• Contact your water provider to see if you are eligible for a social tariff – you may be able to reduce your costs
• Contact your Broadband provider to see if they have a social tariff that you could switch to – you may be able to reduce your costs
• Check out Martin Lewis the Money Saving Expert for a range of ways to save money – his latest article shows 90 ways to survive the cost of living crisis
• Check whether you may be eligible for any other grants or financial assistance by looking at the Turn2Us website Search for charitable and educational grants - Turn2us
• If you need the support of a Foodbank, you can find your nearest one here by checking the Trussell Trust website. It’s worth also doing an internet search for your nearest foodbank as you may have ones operated by other charities that won’t appear on the Trussell Trust website.