Benefits Information and Financial Support

• Childcare Choices – Enter your details on the website to help find out how you can save money on your childcare. 
• entitledto’s free benefits calculator can help you find out what you might be able to claim.
• Financial help if you have children. Includes help when having a baby or adopting, child benefit and tax credits, support for childcare.  
• Lewisham Council are supporting households as well as signposting people to other support you could be eligible for. Visit their Cost of living crisis webpage.
• Apply for free school meals and extra support for your child for Lewisham Council. 
• The South London Healthy Homes programme provides a free winter home, financial and health support package to those most in need.
• Lewisham Local have created this helpful leaflet for those who might be worried about money, which will signpost you to useful services available.
• Find information about on the Mayor of London’s website on benefits, grants and discounts you can get if you’re in financial difficulty.

Help with Energy Bills and reducing Household costs

• SELCE can help you to reduce your energy bills and keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
• Follow the Energy Trust quick tips and advice for quick and easy ways to save energy, lower your bills and reduce your carbon footprint. 
• Martin Lewis has information about reducing energy bills on his website.
• Help for vulnerable residents to stay warm and healthy 
• Funding is available for low-income households in properties with low energy efficiency rating. Find out more and check if you are eligible to apply.
• Many people on some benefits may be able to get cheaper broadband with what are often called social tariffs. There’s a full list on Money Saving Expert here. 
• From Tuesday 1 November Lewisham Council will be offering a Warm Welcome in our local libraries across the borough, where people can come together and use the facilities in a warm, welcoming environment. You can see opening times here.
• Community groups are offering warm spaces where people can pop in. Please check each listing at Lewisham Local for opening times and services provided.

Support with Food Costs

• Sydenham Community Supermarket offers low cost, healthy groceries on your doorstep.
• Pepys Social Supermarket. If you qualify for £3.50PW you can buy approximately £25 worth of food, end of line toiletries and household essentials. 
• Lewisham Food Bank, if you need help from Lewisham foodbank there are a few simple steps to follow.
• OLIO is a free app allowing neighbours to offer perfectly good, unwanted food to each other. 
• Too Good to Go is an app that lets you rescue unsold food from
  shops and restaurants to save it from going to waste.
• Enjoy company and conversation with others from your local area over a delicious meal, prepared with care by FoodCycle volunteers. Find out more here
• Over 1600 eligible families in Lewisham are missing out on payments to buy vegetables, fruit, legume/lentils/beans and milk.  For more info on and how to apply visit the healthy start.