Help and advice if you need urgent support
The cost of living is rising and we understand residents may have worries about the impact this is having on their finances, including energy bills and other utilities, the cost of your weekly shop, and your take-home pay. It may also be impacting your mental health or your ability to support your loved ones.
We have put together some information and useful links to a range of different agencies, which may be able to help anyone in need of further support.
If you are in need of urgent support you can request from help from us.
Food banks
If you are in urgent need of food and supplies, please contact the Community Hub at Blaby who can provide information on local food bank providers or arrange a food parcel. Further details can be found on our Community Hub page.
You can find more information about the other support available on our Support with Food page.
Additional financial support
If you are in urgent need of financial support for food, fuel or housing costs, there are support schemes available that may help.
The Household Support Fund is a government scheme delivered locally by Leicestershire County Council to help support families with children and individuals most in need. Only one application per household can be considered however applicants referred in previous funding rounds can re-apply. You can find out more about the Household Support Fund on the Leicestershire County Council website. There is a link to the website at the bottom of this page.
Discretionary Housing Payments and Council Tax Support are short term awards for people in extreme financial hardship to help you meet your housing or Council Tax costs. You can find out if you qualify on our Discretionary Housing Payments page.
Homelessness or at risk
If you are worried about losing your home or are homeless then you should contact the Housing Options Team who can provide you with advice and guidance on what steps you should take. You can find out more information on our Housing and Homeless web pages.
Mental health and wellbeing support
Dealing with the rising cost of living may be impacting your mental health and leaving you feeling overwhelmed. If you or someone you know is struggling, then you should speak to your GP where possible.
If this is not possible and you need to talk to someone immediately you can call the Mental Health Central Access Point freephone on 0808 800 3302 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or call NHS 111. You can find out more information on their website linked at the bottom of this page.
The Samaritans also offer a 24-hour freephone service. If you wish to talk to someone, please call 116 123. You can find out more information on their website linked at the bottom of this page.
If you do not need to speak to someone immediately, but want to take part in talking therapy sessions, you can refer yourself to Vita Health Group Talking Therapies. You can contact them on 0330 094 5595 or by visiting their website via the link at the bottom of this page.
If there is a threat to life and you have a physical health emergency, you should always call 999 as soon as possible.
County-wide support
Leicestershire County Council have a series of web pages dedicated to finding help with the cost of living including advice on help with food and fuel, energy, transport and employment skills. There is a link to the website at the bottom of this page.
Support from the Government
The government have dedicated web pages with advice of finding help with your income, childcare costs, support if you are disabled, support with bills, travel and housing costs. There is a link to their website Help for Households at the bottom of this page.