Cost of Living Support:
1. Energy and Utilities:
Heat App - Download the Hertfordshire Energy Advice Tool App to see where you can save energy and make savings at home.
Home energy advice - Find out about how to save energy at home and the current grants available to make your home more energy efficient here.
Energy Savers - Help saving energy and money. Find out more here or call 01442 228338.
Energy Saving Trust - Free impartial energy-saving advice, including handy tips. See more here or call 0300 123 1234.
Switch supplier - Shopping around for a better deal on your gas and electricity can save you up to £200 each year. For an easy and impartial guide, visit the Citizens Advice website here.
Cold Weather Payment - Help with heating costs in very cold weather. You may qualify if you receive certain benefits. For more information, please visit the Government website here.
Warm Home Discount Scheme - You can get money off your electricity bill if you receive the Guarantee element of Pension Credit. For more information, please visit the Government website here.
Winter Fuel Payment - This payment of between £100 and £300 can help pay for your heating bills. You may qualify if you were born on or before 5 May 1953. For more information, please visit the Government website here.
Great British Insulation Scheme- free or cheaper insulation to reduce your home’s energy bills, if you're eligible, see here.
Better Housing Better Health helpline – free impartial advice about home energy, including finding the best value energy suppliers and tariffs. Find info here.
Electric heater replacement scheme – homeowners and private tenants can apply for a government grant to have old, uneconomical room heaters replaced with electric storage heaters free of charge (with their landlord's permission). Find out more here.
British Gas Energy Trust - Find info here.
CDA Herts Oil buying group - Find info here.
Affinity Water Low-Income Fixed Tariff - offers discounted social tariffs for low-income households on water and sewage usage. Find out more here or call 0345 357 2401.
Warm spaces finder – find where in your local community you can socialise, enjoy some activities, and find out about the range of support on offer to help people manage the rising cost of living. See more here.
Social tariffs - Cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Find out more here.
WaterSure scheme – help with paying water bills. Find out more here.
AgeUK - energy and benefit advice. See more here.
2. Families:
Adventure Playgrounds - Free open-access play provision where children can engage in a variety of free activities and use equipment they may not have access to at home (such as computers for homework or gaming). Subsidised food and refreshments are also available and 11-16 year olds can attend evening youth groups (50p per session). Find out more here.
Families First - Local advice and practical help to manage finances and make savings. Access support here.
Healthy Start - If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be able to get help with healthy food, milk and vitamins here.
School uniform grants – speak to your childs schools to see if they can provide assistance.
Childcare and free early education – find out how much free childcare you can get, how to claim it and where you can use it here.
Government help with childcare costs - More hours became available in September 2024 and will again in September 2025, including before and after school care. Find out more here.
Hertfordshire Baby bank – collects donations of toys, clothes, accessories and other items for babies, children and parents alike and rehomes them with families in Hertfordshire experiencing hardship. Find out more here.
Sustainable products at discounted prices - including, a range of reusable nappies, reusable period products and reusable continence products.
Mortgages - Find help here and here.
Rent – any help with rent is now almost always provided via Universal Credit. Find out more here.
The HAPpy programme - runs during the Easter, Summer and Winter holidays. Find out more here.
Book a holiday activity – there are nearly 16,000 free activity camp places across the county. Eligible families should get their booking code from their school and reserve a place as soon as possible here.
Free School Meals - If you're on means-tested benefits and on a low income, find out if you qualify here.
Cooking on a Bootstrap - If you're trying to cut your cooking costs, the anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe has some great tips and recipes for cooking here.
3. Food:
Dacorum Foodbank - Run by DENS, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. See more here.
Hemel Hempstead Community Fridge - On Wednesdays and Saturdays at Highfield Community Centre, you can get good surplus food free of charge or donate food you know you won’t eat. Find out more here.
Apsley Community Foodbank - Tuesday 12:30-2:30pm and Thursday 10:00am - 12:00pm at St Mary’s Church, HP3 9ST (Meeting room at rear)
Bennetts End Community Foodbank - Wednesday 9:30-11:30 am at St Benedict’s Church, HP3 8JU (In the church hall).
Citizens Advice Referral - call 0800 1448848
Food Aid Providers - Find a list of other Foodbanks in Dacorum here.
#WorthSaving – better food management has the potential to save families up to £720 a year. Find out how here.
Olio – find produce from local businesses which is nearing its sell-by date, spare home-grown vegetables, breads from your local baker or even groceries from your neighbours. Find out more here.
Too Good To Go app – buy surplus unused food from restaurants, cafes and supermarkets. Download the app here.
Kitche – free app that sends reminders and recipe ideas based on what you’ve already got, so you’ll never be stuck for meal ideas. Download it here.
4. Money:
Citizens Advice Dacorum - Offers information and support online and in person. Free, confidential advice on dealing with debts and creditors, budgeting, calculating payments and tax. See more here or call 0800 144 8848.
StepChange Debt Charity - Charity offering free, confidential debt management and bankruptcy advice. See more here or call 0800 138 1111.
HertSavers Credit Union - Provides support on how to start saving. Loans to members (who must live or work in Hertfordshire) are offered at a lower rate than payday lenders. You must be a member to save or borrow money. See more here or call 020 8756 3868.
Dacorum First Credit Union - Provides people who live or work in Dacorum with a simple and affordable way to save and borrow money. See more here.
National Debtline - Helpline offering free, impartial and confidential advice on managing debts. See more here or call 0808 808 4000.
Directgov: Budgeting and finances -Tips on managing money, saving on bills and support available. Find out more here.
Report a Loan Shark - Lending without a licence is illegal. If you know of, or have borrowed money from someone you suspect to be a loan shark you can report them anonymously. Call 0300 555 2222 (confidential helpline).
Step2Skills Multiply - Adult community learning and employment support service, Step2Skills, offers free workshops, either face-to-face or online, to help you confidently budget your money and make it go further. The Step2Skills Multiply project is designed to help Hertfordshire residents with their finances during the cost of living crisis. See more here.
Applying for benefits and financial help - You can check if you are eligible for benefits on the entitled to website here. If you are already receiving help to pay your rent, but are still struggling to pay your housing costs, you could apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment. If you're a council tenant concerned about your rent, please speak to your housing officer (income). You can contact them by calling 01442 228000 and either asking for them by name or ask for "Housing Rent". Visit Dacorum Borough Council’s money advice page here for more financial help. You can also see what other help is available to you based on your personal circumstances through Turn2us here.
Benefits enquiry line - Advice from the Department for Work and Pensions on the benefits you can claim if you're disabled or a carer. Find out more here or call 0800 882 200 (freephone). The DWP can help you make a new benefit or pension claim, attend appointments and manage your money here.
HertsHelp – trained advisors are here to offer free, confidential assistance. They can put you in touch with relevant services and local support. Find out more here or call 0300 123 4044
Hertfordshire welfare assistance – a scheme to help Hertfordshire residents facing an immediate financial crisis. Find out more here or call 01442 505030.
Money Advice Unit - guides include debt and benefits advice, housing, online training and a budgeting calculator. Find out more here.
Money Saving Expert – advice on cutting your bills here
Government Benefits - see how benefits work here, includes eligibility, appeals, tax credits and universal credits.
Business Debt Line – free debt advice for small business owners. See more here.
MoneyHelper - cost of living guidance for a variety of money concerns here.
Pension Credit - find out if you’re eligible and how much you could get here or call 0800 99 1234.
Carer’s Allowance – talk to Carers in Herts on 01992 586969 or find out more here.
Personal Independence Payment – for adults under state retirement age. See more here.
Attendance Allowance – for those over state retirement age. See more here
Disability Living Allowance - see more here.
Turn2Us – advice and support to help maximise your income and manage your budget here.
Dacorum Borough Council Economic Development Team - provide a high level of business support and advice to assist local businesses to achieve business growth and thrive, nurture new start-up ventures, identify grant funding sources, tap into local knowledge and business support networks, and create strong local communities where businesses can prosper. The team are able to assist with a range of free support such as connecting businesses, networking, local knowledge and the range of services from the council. They also work with partner support agencies that we can refer businesses to for specialist support. You can find out by emailing business@dacorum.gov.uk or calling 01442 531002.
NHS Low Income Scheme - Find out more here or call 0300 330 1343.
Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) - Save money on multiple prescriptions here.
Royal British Legion Cost of Living Grant - Find out more here.
Government Cost of Living Support - Find out the range of support here.
Hertfordshire County Council Benefits and Money Advice - See the range of support here.
Free TV License - Many people will be entitled, including those receiving pension credits, blind or severely impaired people and others. Find out more here.
The Money Saving Expert - Martin Lewis’ website here provides details and tips about all issues including bills, mobile phone contracts and information for students.
Carers UK - provide information and help here to manage your bills.
Join a Trade Union - On average union members get higher pay, better sickness and pension benefits, more paid holiday and more control over things like shifts and working hours. This is because workers join together to negotiate pay and conditions rather than leaving it up to managers. Find the right union for you here.