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Cost of Living

Cost of living advice

The Government has announced a range of measures to assist with the rising cost of living and more information is available on the GOV.UK help for households webpage.

Find support, information, advice and guidance to help you and your family, friends and communities from Nottinghamshire County Council.

Additional information has been provided with the help with the cost of living.

There are also several options available that might be of some assistance to residents:

Contents

Maximising your income/benefits

Universal Credit (UC) ‐ the Department of Work and Pensions want to encourage people who could be better off financially to consider moving to UC. They estimate that more than half of current claimants will be better off. For further information go to:

Universal Credit: What Universal Credit is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Pension Credit - this is one of the most under-claimed benefits by those of pension-age. If you are entitled to Pension Credit this can lead to additional help with Council Tax and free TV licences for over 75's. To check if you, or a family member might be entitled to Pension Credit, please go to:

Pension Credit calculator - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Rising food and energy bills

Household Support Fund

Extra support to help with rising bills is now being offered to Rushcliffe residents, led by Nottinghamshire County Council.

Thanks to the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) Nottinghamshire County Council, Rushcliffe and other Borough and District partners will continue to share vital money worth £5.6 million to those in immediate need of help, because of the rising costs of food and energy between October 2024 and March 2025.

Find out more about the Household Support Fund.

Housing Benefit / Council Tax Support if you are pension-age and live in rented accommodation and are on a low income you may be able to claim help with your rent. If you pay Council Tax and are on a low income you may be able to claim Council Tax Support. To check potential entitlement and to make a claim go to:

Benefit Calculator and Claim (teamnetsol.com)

General benefit advice

For all general benefits advice go to:

Browse: Benefits - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Free and impartial help with money, backed by the government | MoneyHelper

Benefits advice and information | Nottinghamshire County Council

Benefit calculators - there are also various benefit calculators available which provide independent advice regarding benefits you may be entitled to:

Benefits Calculator - entitledto - independent | accurate | reliable

Fighting UK Poverty - Turn2us

Benefit and budgeting calculator | Policy In Practice (betteroffcalculator.co.uk)

Benefits calculator and benefits advice - What benefits am I entitled to? | Age UK

Benefit calculators: what benefits can you get - Citizens Advice

Managing your money/expenditure

If you need help to manage your money and general budgeting advice, there is a useful tool available on the Citizens Advice website:

Work out your budget - Citizens Advice

If you are experiencing difficulties with your household energy costs in the first instance, please discuss this with your provider.

The Citizens Advice website also contains some useful information regarding grants and benefits available to help pay energy bills, see:

Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills - Citizens Advice

If you are having difficulties with your water payments Severn Trent's Big Difference scheme is available for those on a low income, see:

Big Difference Scheme | Help with paying your bill | Help when you need it | My Account | Severn Trent Water (stwater.co.uk)

Housing help

If you are in private rented or Housing Association accommodation and your rent is not covered in full by Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit  the council has limited funding to support some shortfalls via our Discretionary Housing Payment scheme, please see:

Discretionary housing payment - Rushcliffe Borough Council

If you require more specialised housing advice, our Housing team have a number of options available, see:

Housing advice and homelessness - Rushcliffe Borough Council

If you are tenant of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing there is help available with maximising your income, reducing expenses, getting grants, and accessing specialist support, see:

Money advice - Metropolitan Thames Valley (mtvh.co.uk)

If you are a tenant of Platform Housing, they have a Wellbeing Fund available to provide support for their tenants:

Platform Wellbeing Fund | Platform Housing Group (platformhg.com)

Council services - County Council

 Nottinghamshire County Council have a range of support in line with their services.

Citizens Advice Bureau also have a range of support available:

Universal Credit (UC)

Contact the national Help To Claim line 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday on 0800 144 8 444

General Advice

Citizens Advice Adviceline on 0300 330 5457

Rushcliffe Advice network:

Tel: 0115 982 7252 

Mob: 07795 695574
 
Bingham Advice Centre:
Bingham Town Council
The Old Court House
Church Street
Bingham
Telephone: 07549 184832
Opening Hours: Every Wednesday 9:30am- 12:30pm
Drop in for advice

Cotgrave Advice Centre:
All Saint’s Church
Plumtree Road
Cotgrave
NG12 3HT
TEL: 0115 989 3294
Email: cotgraveadvicecentre@gmail.com

Opening hours: Mondays 5-7pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am – 12pm

West Bridgford Advice Centre:
St. Giles Church Hall
Stratford Road
West Bridgford
Nottingham
NG2 6AZ
TEL: 0115 982 1475 (Wednesdays only)
Email: westbridgfordadvicecentre@gmail.com

Opening Hours: Wednesdays 9:30am - 12:30pm

Radcliffe on Trent Advice Centre:
St Mary’s Hall
Main Road
Radcliffe on Trent
NG12 2FD
TEL: 07549184832
Email: enquiries@radcliffeadvicecentre.org.uk

Opening times: Thursdays 9:30 – 12:30pm

Keyworth Advice Centre:
Feignies Room
Keyworth Village Hall
Elm Avenue
Keyworth
NG12 5AN
TEL: 07584 843086
Email: advice.keyworth@gmail.com

Opening Times: Tuesdays 1pm - 4pm

Debt Advice

Contact the Citizens Advice Debt team on 0115 945 3989.

If you need specialised advice on debt issues, something useful sites include:

StepChange Debt Charity - Free Expert Debt Advice

Home - Shelter England

The Money and Pensions Service | Building financial wellbeing

Debt and money - Citizens Advice

Rushcliffe Community Assistance

For information on warm spaces, food banks, food & meals offers, loneliness and cost of living support please see the Community Assistance documents available via Google Drive.

You can find out more on the support available in the Borough with the Rushcliffe Community Assistance Directory.

Benefits