Cost-Of-Living Support

Find out what support is available to help you and your family get through the cost-of-living crisis.

Bradford Council have issued this cost of living support booklet: https://costoflivingbradford.co.uk/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Family Hub

Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB)

You don’t have to be a UK citizen to get support from your local CAB, you just need to be
a resident of the local area. The CAB can help you with:

Getting benefits or organising other financial support
Accessing support for essential costs (food, bills, rent)

Visit the Citizens Advice website or contact your local branch to book an appointment.

Family Hub

Contact your local Family Hub to get help accessing all the support you might need as a family. Find your local hub here.

Check you’re paying the right amount of tax

Make sure you’re on the right tax code. If you aren’t you might be due a refund. Use the Money Saving Expert’s free tax code calculator to find out.

Claim any benefits you’re entitled to

Use 1 of these benefits calculators to determine whether there are any benefits you could be claiming:

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Policy in Practice
Support for migrant families – use this calculator if you are a migrant family, or if you have no recourse to public funds (meaning you’re not entitled to the majority of welfare benefits)

You may be able to get benefits paid early if you need cash urgently – this is known as ‘a short-term benefit advance’. You will need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) office dealing with your claim.

Check you’ve received all the government’s cost-of-living payments

The government’s cost-of-living payments are available for those receiving certain benefits or tax credits. You don’t need to apply for these – if you’re eligible the money should go straight into your account.

If you think you’re due a payment but haven’t received one, report a missing payment to the government here.

Be aware of scams! If you receive any emails, texts or phone calls asking you to fill in an application form or asking for your bank details to receive a cost-of-living payment, do not talk to them or send a reply. Get more information on cost-of-living scams on the Money Saving Expert’s website.

Find out what help you can get with your energy bills

Take a look at these resources from the British Gas Energy Trust and the Money Saving Expert.

Check if your child is entitled to free school meals (FSM)

If your child is eligible for FSM you need to get them registered. This will allow them to get a free meal at school, and we’ll get extra funding (known as the pupil premium) to support your child’s learning.

Go to this government website to check if your child is eligible. If they are, or if you’re not sure, contact Mr Vasey at school by email or telephone for assistance.

See what other support you can get from your local authority

Bradford Local Authority contact details for household support are here.

Local authorities have many schemes that you might be eligible for, including:

The Holiday Activities and Food Programme – access to food and activities over the school holidays. Note that if your child is eligible for free school meals (see above), they’ll also qualify for this programme
Help with transport to school
Help with school uniform costs

Get free or low-cost food

If you’re worried about not having enough food to feed your family, you’re not alone. There are a number of places offering support.

If you have a child under 4, and meet the eligibility criteria, you may be entitled to healthy start food vouchers
Find your local food bank here: Bankuet, The Independent Food Aid Network, the Trussell Trust, or your local community fridge
Use food waste apps and websites like Olio (for free food and household items from your local community), Too Good To Go (for low-cost food from local restaurants), or Low Price Foods (food that has passed its best before date, but is still safe to eat)
Become a member of a community shop. These organisations sell food to their members at a reduced price. Some shops are free to join if you meet certain criteria, and others ask for a small contribution. Find out if there’s one near you by checking these websites: Community Shop, Your Local Pantry, Community Grocery
Get more tips on free and cheap meals from Which

Free hygiene products

Students can access free sanitary products at school via the First Aid office.
Food banks may offer free toiletries and sanitary products. Check with your local food bank to see what’s available
Find the cheapest disposable sanitary products on Sanitary Saver