In light of the rising cost of living, financial wellbeing is now more important than ever. Prices are rising, taxes are increasing and worries about costs are ever growing.
MoneyHelper is a free service provided by the Money and Pensions Service.
The Money and Pensions Service is an arm’s-length body of HM Government, sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions. It has a joint commitment to ensure that people throughout the UK have free access to the information and guidance they need to make effective financial decisions over their lifetime.
MoneyHelper have developed a benefits calculator, which is free, quick and confidential.
Why you should use this calculator
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Quickly see if you could claim extra regular payments, like Universal Credit and Child Benefit.
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See if you qualify for other help and grants, like free school meals and money towards your heating bills.
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Check what support you can get if your circumstances have changed.
How the benefits calculator works
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Answer simple questions for a quick estimate of how much you could get.
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Enter more details to see a full list of the benefits, payments or vouchers you could qualify for and how to claim them.
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Your information is confidential. We don’t store or share it with anyone else.
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The calculator should be used as a guide and might show you benefits you’re already claiming.
NHS colleagues can call this support line, provided by the Money Helper service, for free and impartial money guidance from Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Call: 0800 448 0826
Add 07701 342 744 to your WhatsApp and send the Money Helper service’s national support team a message for help with sorting out your debts, credit questions and pensions guidance.
Webchat
Chat to one of the Money Helper service team via their online portal.
Find out more online.
More tools and resources from the MoneyHelper Service
Budget Planner Tool: This free Budget Planner puts you in control of your household spending and analyses your results to help you take control of your money. It’s already helped hundreds of thousands of people.
Couch to Financial Fitness: Would you like to feel more in control of your finances? Try their free and flexible ten-week plan to help you build your confidence to manage your money. Develop core saving muscles, and create better habits for a long-term cash confident future.
Debt Advice Locator Tool: If you’re struggling with debt, it can be hard to know where to turn. But with lots of free national and local advice services available across the UK, you can use this tool to find help in a way that’s best for you.
Debt and borrowing: For taking control of debt, getting free debt advice, and how to borrow affordably.
Benefits: Find out what benefits you’re entitled to and learn about Universal Credit.
Budgeting and managing your money: Advice on running a bank account, planning your finances, and cutting costs.
Work and redundancy: Advice on understanding your employment rights, what in-work benefits you might be entitled to and how to handle redundancy.
Family and care: Big money decisions often need to be made when looking after family members and partners, expecting a baby, or dealing with problems like illness, divorce or bereavement. MoneyHelper has easy to understand guides to help you.
Help with scams: Advice for spotting, avoiding and recovering from scams.
Cavell Nurses Trust: Cavell Nurses Trust is a charity that supports UK nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants, both working and retired, when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship often due to illness, disability, older age and domestic abuse. One way Cavell Nurses trust provides this support through one-off grants to relieve financial hardship and rapid emergency funding for those at great risk.
Citizen's Advice: Citizens Advice is an independent organisation that can offer free debt advice and help.
CSIS Charity Fund: CSIS Charity Fund assists serving, retired and former civil and public servants, as well as widows and widowers of deceased CSIS policyholders.
Health Hero and PayPlan:As part of the HealthHero offer, you can get free, confidential and trusted debt advice from PayPlan. PayPlan have been providing free debt advice for 30 years and currently help over 100,000 people every year to get their finances under control.
TASC: The Ambulance Staff Charity (TASC): TASC is the leading UK charity providing support to all present and past ambulance staff and their families in time of need, both in the NHS and independent sector. Our services are independent and confidential and include psychological rehabilitation and counselling, including stress and PTSD support; physical rehabilitation; financial grants; debt advice; welfare and other support; and bereavement support.
The Healthcare Workers Foundation: Healthcare Workers’ Foundation provide grants of up to £1,000. All NHS workers are eligible, just need to submit your NHS ID.
Trussell Trust - No one should go hungry and the Trussell trust is here to help. This website give you information on about to obtain a food voucher and to find your nearest foodbank should you ever need it. Each food bank works with different frontline professionals, like doctors, health visitors, social workers, and Citizens Advice. These professionals will be able to refer you to a food bank and give you a food bank voucher if they think you need emergency food.
Turn2us: Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through partner organisations. Their web site includes a benefits calculator, a grants search database, information and interactive tools providing a wide range of subjects on welfare benefits, charitable grants and managing money.
UNISON - UNISON provides a one-off grant of £250 to help with essential expenses such as food and bills, general living costs, household appliances, urgent repairs, disability equipment and adaptations, utility bills and funeral costs. To be eligible to apply for financial assistance, you must have been a member of UNISON for at least four weeks and up to date with your subscriptions.
For more details: Unison Financial Assistance Guide
Other grant and funding help:
The Fire Fighters Charity : Enquire about support - The Fire Fighters Charity
The Healthcare workers foundation: Grants | Healthcare Workers' Foundation (healthcareworkersfoundation.org)
RCN Foundation: Hardship Grants | RCN Foundation | Royal College of Nursing
Other financial organisations:
- https://www.debtadvicefoundation.org/
- https://www.gov.uk/national-debtline
- https://moneyadvice.co.uk/
- https://www.nationaldebtline.org/
- https://www.stepchange.org/
Tips and tricks to cutting costs:
Health Service Discounts: NHS Discounts, Offers & Codes
Martin Lewis - 90 ways to save on the cost of living and Cost of Living Survival Kit
Money saving blogs and resources: 45 Money Saving Blogs That Could Rival Money Saving Expert - Savings 4 Savvy Mums
Loyalty apps Over 50 Of The Best Loyalty Cards And Discount Apps In The UK - Household Money Saving
Supermarket Comparison - Get the Trolley.co.uk App - Compare supermarket prices on-the-go - Trolley.co.uk
This is money - Best money management apps to keep track of your finances | This is Money
This is money - 50 tips to beat the cost of living crunch | This is Money
Too Good to Go: Save Food - Help The Planet | Too Good To Go