Hertford Junior School

A wide range of support is available in Brighton & Hove this winter to help residents struggling with fuel bills and other essential costs.  Please see below for details and help the people you work with to access what is on offer while it is available:

Brighton & Hove City Council – Help with food, fuel and other essential costs

Household Support Fund

Extra help is available this winter for households struggling to pay for food, fuel and other essential costs. The funding is part of the government’s Household Support Fund and is available until 31 March 2022. The council can offer vouchers or find another way to help access many essential goods and services.

Help is available for people who are not on benefits, as well as those who are.

To find out more and apply, go to www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/household-support-fund or call the Community Hub on 01273 293117 (option 2).

Disabled Facilities Grant

A wide range of help for older and disabled people, including a Warm Safe Homes Grant, as well as grants to help prevent falls and injury in the home and assist hospital discharge. These are all non-repayable grants with a simple application process.

To apply, contact the Disabled Facilities Grant Team at disabledfacilitiesgrant@brighton-hove.gov.uk or call 01273 294366. For more information about the range of assistance on offer go to www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/adult-social-care/care-and-support-adults/changes-your-home.

For the hospital discharge grant, contact Possability People on 01273 069851 or HDS@possabilitypeople.org.uk

Moneyworks – Small grants, fuel vouchers, debt and benefit support…

This service is provided by a partnership of community advice agencies across the city and can help with all money issues, including:

• fuel bill payments and vouchers
• debt and benefits help
• foodbank referrals
• getting a bank account
• getting online

To access the service, contact either:

• Moneyworks Adviceline on 0800 988 7037 (open Mon 1-5, Tue 9-1, Wed & Thu 12.30-4.30, and Fri 10-2)
• Citizens Advice Helpline on 08082 78 78 15 or go to https://www.cabrightonhove.org/get-advice/

BHESCo - Advice, home visits and energy saving kit

Brighton & Hove Energy Services Cooperative (BHESCo) can offer free advice on switching and energy consumption to residents who are struggling to pay their energy bills.  They can also carry out free home visits to qualifying households to install energy-saving measures, help in dealings with energy suppliers and give guidance on efficient energy usage in the home.

Contact BHESCo by calling 0800 999 6671 or emailing info@bhesco.co.uk with the subject heading: Energy Advice.

For more information, go to https://bhesco.co.uk/fuel-poverty-energy-bills-brighton-hove

NEA - Warm and Safe Homes Advice Service (WASH)

Free impartial support and advice for vulnerable and low-income customers on energy bills and keeping warm and safe in your home. The service can help with:

• Support with gas and electricity accounts including fuel debt
• Warm Home Discount and Priority Service Register
• Switching suppliers & tariffs
• Energy efficiency and water rates
• Trust fund applications
• Benefits advice and income maximisation

Contact the WASH Advice Service by calling 0800 304 7159, referring online at https://www.nea.org.uk/wash-advice/ or using the chat function on the Facebook page to speak directly to an adviser who can give tailored advice.

NEA can also offer online workshops for at risk groups, providing free, impartial advice on switching, bills, supplier issues, energy debt, grant applications and more. Please contact wash@nea.org.uk or rebecca.jones@nea.org.uk for more information.

LEAP – Advice, home visits and energy saving kit

The Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) is a free advice service helping people keep warm and reduce their energy bills.  LEAP works in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council and has helped lots of people in the city reduce their energy bills. Advisors can:

• fit free energy saving kit in your home (such as lightbulbs and draught-proofing)
• check if you are eligible for insulation or a new boiler
• give practical advice on heating systems and saving energy
• help with switching
• arrange a free money advice consultation to help with benefits, debt and other money problems

To book a free energy advice phone call or home visit for yourself or someone else:

• Call free on 0800 060 7567
• Email support@applyforleap.org.uk
• Go to https://applyforleap.org.uk/apply/

Brighton & Hove Food Partnership 

Information on all the local support available for people struggling to buy food:

Food Emergency: https://bhfood.org.uk/resources/referring-to-a-food-bank/ 

Food Poverty: https://bhfood.org.uk/how-to-hub/food-poverty-advice/

Southern Water

Help and advice for people struggling to afford water bills, including discounts and support from Southern Water and free, water-saving home visits:

Help with paying your water bill: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/account/help-paying-your-bill

Free, water-saving home visits: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/how-to-save-water/water-saving-home-visits