Money Worries/Support
Mental health and money self-help and toolkits
| Mental health and money
Website offering practical advice, tips and a toolkit. Mental health and money : Mental Health & Money Advice (mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org) Every Mind Matters |
Mental health and debt guide
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Online money advice resources
Benefits Calculators
Turn2us Benefit Calculator – About You – Turn2us
Entitled 2 Benefits Calculator – entitledto – independent | accurate | reliable
Budgeting tools
Policy in Practice Benefit and budgeting calculator | Policy In Practice (betteroffcalculator.co.uk)
Money Advice Service Budget Planner – Free online daily, monthly and yearly budget planning tool – Money Advice Service |
Local Debt and Money Advice
| Money Advice Plus
Specialist debt and benefit advice, casework and support. 01273 664 000 |
Moneyworks
Here to help Brighton & Hove residents save money, make money and manage their money better. The services are for anyone who is struggling to make ends meet. Drop-ins and helpline support. Helpline: 0800 988 7037 |
Citizens Advice Brighton and Hove
Provide free confidential and impartial advice 08082 78 78 15 |
| St Lukes Advice Service
Provides free advice, information and help with form filling in relation to debt, benefits and pension credit. 01273 549203 |
Possibility People
Disability advice centre can help with disability advice, welfare benefits and a range of other issues. Can help with enquiries about; Disability benefits (ESA, UC, PIP, AA, Carers Allowance, WTC)
Advisors are available by telephone, from 10am – 4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (closed Wednesdays). 01273 894050. If you are deaf or had of hearing text us on 07718 42 42 14 |
Youth Advice Centre in Brighton
Offers housing advice, family mediation, floating support, advice and support around emotional health and wellbeing and debts and benefits. Budgeting and money management advice and support with benefit claims. Access to specialist benefit advice. 01273 624432 YMCA Youth Advice Centre (YAC) in Brighton – YMCA DownsLink Group (ymcadlg.org) |
| The Financial Support Line for Victims of Domestic Abuse
Financial support for victims of domestic abuse. 08081968845 https://www.moneyadviceplus.org.uk/advice-and-support/domestic-abuse-money-education-project/ |
Armed Forces Network
If you or a close member of your family have served or are serving in the UK Armed Forces there is help and support available.
01273 403693 |
Household support fund
Extra help is available this winter for households in www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/benefits/help-and-support/get-emergency-help-food-energy-bills-and-other-essentials |
National Debt and Money Advice
| Money Advice Service
Offers free and impartial money advice, set up by the government. Telephone: 0800 138 7777 Type Talk: 18001 0800 915 4622 Whatsapp: 07701 342744 Free and impartial money advice, set up by government – Money Advice Service |
StepChange
Online and telephone free, confidential debt advice 0800 138 1111 |
National Debtline
Free independent debt advice on the telephone or webchat and offer online tools 0808 808 4000 |
| Debt Advice Foundation
Debt advice, tools and resources 0800 043 40 50 |
Financial Hardship- support and advice
| Community hub
If you need emergency help with food, energy bills and other essentials, please phone 01273 293 117 and select option 1. You will be directed to the Local Discretionary Social Fund. For queries relating to Covid-19, please phone 01273 293 117 and select option 2. You will be directed to the Community Hub. If you are over 18, require food or shopping related support and can afford to pay for this, please phone 01273 293 117 and select option 3. You will be directed to Food Support at Impact Initiatives If you need help to stay safe and well, or if you need care and support, please call Access Point on 01273 295 555. Request help for yourself or someone else (brighton-hove.gov.uk) |
Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
A not for profit organisation including community organisations, statutory agencies, local business and individual residents. Offering various community food projects, including community gardens, food sharing, food banks and free or low cost meals. |
Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project
Provides practical support, education and advice to those in poverty, poor living conditions or low incomes. 01273 671 213 |
| Impact YPC
City Centre space for drop-in support, affordable meals, activities, counselling, peer support 01273 887886 |
Community Roots
is a group of sixteen community groups working together to provide prevention, wellbeing and recovery support for people with a range of mental health issues. Support for carers and families is also available. A Freephone Central Access Point phone number is operated by a team of Community Navigators who can guide people through the support available and provide professional advice. Self-refer online Tel: 0808 196 1768. Open Monday to Friday 9-5pm. |
Emergency food & voucher providers in Brighton & Hove
Balfour Mutual Aid Food Bank Bevendean Food Bank Black & Minority Ethnic Community Partnership Food Bank BHCC Children’s Centres Brighton Food Bank Brighton Women’s Centre C.A.S.E CEDP Chinese Centre Clarendon Foodbank Cornerstone Community Centre Fresh Start Hangleton & West Blatchington Food Bank BrightStore (four locations) Cravenvale Food bank Hollingbury Foodbank at the Gathering Place Moulsecoomb Community Market Old Boat Corner Community Centre Pankhurst Pantry Phoenix Food Shop Woodingdean Food Hub Weald Allotments Community Fridge YMCA DLG Youth Advice Centre Brighton Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project Chomp, One Church Brighton Christians Against Poverty East Brighton Food Co-op Food & Friendship Lunch Positive Sussex Homeless Support Sussex Surplus The Bevy Community Pub The Trust for Developing Communities The Real Junk Food Project (four locations)
Service that can help
Energyworks
Money Advice Plus, Citizens Advice Brighton and Hove, and their energy partners are pleased to be offering help with fuel bills and keeping homes warm. They provide money advice and casework, including support with benefits, debt, budgeting, switching, and other help to keep homes warm. They can also provide grants for fuel bill payments and onwards referrals to relevant partners. Please bear in mind this service has limited capacity and a current waiting list. Please only refer people who are vulnerable and/or in significant need of this service.
Contact:
Email energyworks@cabrightonhove.org to request a referral form. Clients can also self-refer using this email address.
Clients can also self-refer by calling 0333 090 9150 – this is a voicemail only line for clients without internet access to call and leave their details.
BHESCo (Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative)
Free home visits to qualifying households, offering energy advice, help with energy companies, and installation of energy saving kit (e.g. lightbulbs, draught-proofing, radiator reflectors). In emergency situations, they can also provide items such as portable heaters, thermal curtains and electric blankets.
For more information, go to: https://bhesco.co.uk/blog/energy-bill-crisis-what-help-is-available-sussex
Contact:
Email: info@bhesco.co.uk with the subject heading: Energy Advice
Call: 0800 999 6671 or 01273 284470
LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership)
Free phone call or home visit providing support with energy bills, advice on saving energy and heating systems and installation of simple energy saving measures. LEAP can also arrange a free telephone advice service to help with benefits, debt and other money problems, as well as referrals for further energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation and efficient heating systems.
Contact: To book a free energy advice phone call or home visit call free on 0800 060 7567 or apply online: www.applyforleap.org.uk
The council’s website is being updated with advice on available energy support (Help with fuel bills (brighton-hove.gov.uk)
Food initiatives
Impact Initiatives continues with their Food Access service, supporting elderly and housebound residents to access food. They also deliver an ‘on the day’ emergency voucher or parcel if they cannot refer to another food bank that day. East Brighton Food Co-op city-wide meal delivery service and takes referrals for housebound residents who cannot afford to pay for food, but need a meal delivered.
Contact: food.access@impact-initiatives.org.uk or ring 01273 322950
The Emergency Food Network report from July 22 identified 44 food banks, social supermarkets and meal projects working out of 50 locations in the city.
Contact: https://bhfood.org.uk/category/get-involved/referrals/ or ring 01273 234810
Cold Weather advice and alerts
The Cold Weather Alert operates in England from the 1 November to 31 March every year and come from the Met office and UKHSA. These set out the level of alert based on the predicted and actual temperature, snow etc and link to the actions organisations should take to protect those at most risk for the negative effects of the cold. Organisations can subscribe to this for free.
The NHS and Council cascade these alerts to the practices, services and the community.
Please find the full set of Action Cards here and these are updated nationally https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cold-weather-plan-action-cards-for-cold-weather-alert-service
The action cards list required actions to be taken for each level of the cold weather alerts and include actions cards for
- commissioners and local authorities
- provider organisations
- frontline health and social care staff
- GPs and practice staff
- individuals
- voluntary and community sector
Please see general information leaflets:
- Keep warm Keep well leaflet ‘Keep Warm Keep Well’ leaflet – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Top Tips for keeping warm and well Top tips for keeping warm and well 2021 (publishing.service.gov.uk)
- Stay well this winter We’re here to help you stay well this winter (assets.nhs.uk)
- How to stay well this winter How to stay well in winter – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- Stay Well This Winter | Campaign Resource Centre (phe.gov.uk) has a selection of printable material, also available;
Older People’s Network
Last month we held the first Older People’s Network, which was for professionals working with older people to come together for peer support and to share any challenges as well as working to overcome them together!
It was a total success with over 30 professionals attending! See picture attached – It was really fab to see so much expertise and so many fabulous services all in one room!
If you’d like to be involved – please do get in touch and we can add you to the mailing list.
We also have developed a short survey so we can shape future meetings based on demand – please see here: https://forms.office.com/e/KYhaNfmy0m
Bereavement Services
Know someone struggling with a bereavement? Our Bereavement Navigator Service can support people to manage the immediate practicalities through to longer term support. You can get in touch with us here: bereavement.service@ageukwsbh.org.uk
The Bereavement Peer Support Group run in Partnership with The Bereavement Centre on the last Thursday of the Month continues and watch this space for our new Bereavement Walking Group. We will be starting this month on the second Thursday of the month – get in touch for more details!
Let’s Get Digital
Our Digital Inclusion Service continues to offer support to get people 50+ online and connected. We can even loan out tablets to get them started free of charge!
Please get in touch digital.inclusion@ageukwsbh.org.uk with to find out more about groups and 1:1 support.
Please also see some updates from other partners:
The Rainbow Hub tprc@therainbowhubbrighton.com We are one of three new third-party reporting centres in Brighton & Hove, working alongside the Racial Harassment Forum and Possibility People.
Warm Space in Rottingdean
The Sisters of the Convent of St Martha’s in Rottingdean are opening their Convent as a Warm and Social Space for all members of the senior community (50+) of the Borough of Brighton and Hove. All are welcome, no matter their denomination, for hot drinks and biscuits, a warm reading space, board games, friendship or just someone to talk to. This will be held three days a week for the foreseeable future, to this schedule:
Mondays 09:30 there is a Mass in the Covent chapel, which all are welcome to join, followed by the Open House from 10:15 to 12:00
Tuesdays & Fridays Open House from 14:00-16:00
Please share this information with anyone whom you think may benefit, or would be interested. You can contact Sister Irene who heads the Community via irenebrogan12@gmail.com
The Convent of St Martha’s is on the upper end of Rottingdean High Street (B2123) where it becomes The Green. There are 5 buses which stop either outside the White Horse Hotel or Tesco Express, including the 12, 12X, 14, 14C, 27, (it’s a 5 minute walk to or from these bus stops to the Convent) and the No 2 bus stops right outside the entrance of the Convent.
The address is:
St Martha’s Convent, The Green, Rottingdean High Road, Rottingdean, BN2 7HA
Please come and visit us!
