Cost of Living Support
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.