Cost of living support
If you are struggling with the cost of living you are not alone - there is help available.
Below are details of organisations and schemes that can support you with money and debt advice, energy and water bills, benefits and other financial support to which you may be entitled.
Government advice and support
Get Help with the Cost of Living
Welsh Government resources on how to get support with benefits, utility bills, council tax, debt and money, housing, education and childcare, health and wellbeing and support in your local area.
Wales fuel support scheme: 2022 to 2023
The aim of this scheme is to reduce the impact of the rising cost of energy and the cost-of-living crisis. The scheme will be open to households where an applicant, or their partner is in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits at any time between 1 September 2022 and 31 January 2023.
Advicelink Cymru
A Welsh Government funded Citizens Advice service designed to help people who are most in need of advice services, particularly those who would not usually seek advice.
Help paying bills using your benefits
You can ask for gas and electricity payments to be deducted from your benefits.
Nest
The Nest scheme offers a range of free, impartial advice and, if you are eligible, a package of free home energy efficiency improvements such as a new boiler, central heating, insulation, or solar panels. This can lower your energy bills and benefit your health and wellbeing.
Energy company charitable trusts
Some energy companies have set up charitable trusts to which customers can apply for assistance if they are finding it challenging to meet energy costs or have arrears.
If your energy supplier doesn’t have a charitable trust (not every supplier does), then you can apply to the British Gas Energy Trust for assistance, as their charitable scheme isn’t restricted to British Gas customers.
Charities and third sector organisations
Most charities will expect that people will have approached a debt/money advice organisation for assistance before approaching them.
You can find a debt adviser on the Money Helper website.
National Debtline provides free, confidential and independent advice about debt problems.
There may be other charities who could assist with energy costs, by providing grants that do not need to be paid back.
Turn2us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. You can search on their website for:
If you are struggling to pay your energy bills, Citizens Advice provides information on how to get help from your supplier and set up debt repayment schemes.
Scope offers disabled people and their families advice regarding energy support. You can also email Disability.EnergySupport@Scope.org.uk
Contact – the charity for families with disabled children – also provides cost of living advice.
LEAP – the Local Energy Advice Partnership - is a free service that is helping people keep warm and reduce their energy bills without costing them any money.
Bliss - the charity for babies born premature or sick - provides information about the financial support available to help manage the extra expense that having a newborn baby in special care brings, such as travel costs, parking, extra child-care and missed days at work.
Oxygen concentrators
If you have an oxygen concentrator, you can get a rebate for the electricity the concentrator uses from the company that supplies the concentrator.
Contact the company directly to ask for this.