The following services may help if you need financial help.
Breathing Space
Breathing Space is a government debt respite scheme which gives you legal protections from creditor action for up to 60 days. The protections include pausing most enforcement action and contact from creditors and freezing most interest and charges on their debts.
Find out more about Breathing Space from Step Change Debt Charity.
Cost of living support
Find out what support is available to help with the cost of living on GOV.UK:Cost of living support.
This includes income and disability benefits, bills and allowances, childcare, housing and travel.
Help for Households
Find information on the cost of living support you may be eligible on GOV.UK: Help for Households.
Cost of Living payments
You may be able to get payments to help with the cost of living if you’re getting certain benefits or tax credits.
For more information see GOV.UK: Cost of Living Payments.
Discretionary Council Tax Relief
To assist with applications for a discretionary council tax relief (under Section 13A), see:
Council Tax support fund
The government provided funding to help Council Tax support claimants in 2023 to 2024 with a Council Tax liability. Eligible taxpayers have been identified from our benefit records and discretionary awards of up to £40 have been included in the total council tax support on their council tax account. Residents did not need to apply.
Money navigator tool
The money navigator tool provides free money and debt guidance based on individual circumstances and help finding support in your area. It includes ways of staying on top of bills, how to find extra support and where to get extra help.
Go to: Money navigator tool: Money Helper.
Household support fund (phase 4)
The government launched a further £842 million support fund for vulnerable households towards cost of living for 2023 to 2024.
Elmbridge Borough Council has been allocated £368,000 to support households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support on 15 September 2023, and on that day have met one of following conditions:
- a member of the household is in receipt of a qualifying disability or carer benefit/element
- a member of the household is of pensionable age
- a member of the household is a child under 16
or
- is in receipt of 100% care leavers Council Tax reduction on 15 September 2023
Payment amount
The council has identified approximately 4,800 eligible households. These households will receive a minimum payment of £65. If you have a child under 16 in your household as on 15 September 2023 you will be paid a top up payment of £35, making the total payment £100.
Receiving payment
We will make payment into existing bank account details using the information we gathered from previous schemes and Council Tax records, or to new bank details where provided and validated by 6 December 2023. Where bank details are not held or validated, but the claimant is a Council Tax payer, payment will be made to the Council Tax account. Customers do not need to contact us as payment will automatically be made.
Claims will be treated as ineligible if we have no valid bank details or Council Tax account.
Date of payments
Payment will be made directly to the bank account or credited to the Council Tax account by 22 December 2023. A reference beginning with H4HOLD will show on the bank statement.
Surrey County Council: Household Support Fund
For information on how Surrey County Council is allocating their Household Support Fund see Surrey County Council: Financial help.