Are you worried about money?

Your housing officer can:

• provide guidance to help you reduce your debts and manage your money
• make sure that you get in touch with the right people to help you
• refer you to free support services that can give you individual, specialised support.

It's important to get any money and debt issues under control as soon as possible, if you’d like to speak to us about accessing support, please get in touch.

There are also lots of free services available online and in your community.

You’ll find lots of links below to support agencies, tools and information to help you manage your money and make sure you’re receiving all the benefits you’re entitled to.

The Household Support Fund (HSF) provides financial support to help vulnerable households who are struggling to afford the essentials and have no other access to funds.

How to apply for the fund:

• The fund is available until 31 March 2023.
• If your household received a household support fund grant as part of the first two HSF periods (October 2021 to September 2022) you can still claim for this period (1 October 2022 to 31 Marh 2023).
• Each council has their own fund and eligibility criteria.
• You will need to provide evidence of hardship with your application form.
• Citizens Advice may be able to help you with your application (see Citizens Advice section below).
• You can find out more and apply on their websites:

North Northamptonshire

West Northamptonshire

Citizens Advice provide free, independent and impartial advice to help you find a way forward, whatever the problem.

This includes advice and information on:

• Benefits
• Debt and money
• Housing
• Health
• Consumer rights
• Family rights
• Legal support

Their network of charities offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free.

For local support, take a look on their website for your area:

Daventry

Kettering 

Central and East Northamptonshire, incl. Wellingborough 

• They also have a national phone AdviceLine: 0800 144 8848 (you'll be put through to a local adviser if one is free)
• And a dedicated debt helpline: 0800 240 4420
• Both helplines are available 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

There are lots of national and local benefits and grants available to help you manage your energy costs.

Find out more about what you may be entitled to.

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) provide financial support to help with rent or housing costs.

They are issued through your local council and each council decides how their application process will work (see links to each Council's relevant webpage below).

They are a top-up to Housing Benefit or the Housing Element within your Universal Credit award, and are available if the Council considers that someone needs extra help with their housing costs.

DHPs are only available as short-term assistance, not a long-term solution. They are discretionary awards and do not form part of your benefit entitlement. Please be aware the council's have a limited fund for these payments, and they are often only paid in exceptional circumstances.

Could you be eligible?

You may be able to apply for a DHP if you currently claim either:

• Housing Benefit, or
• the housing element of Universal Credit
• AND need more financial support with housing costs.

You may get a DHP to cover housing costs for:

• a rent shortfall
• rent deposits
• rent in advance if you need to move home

DHPs cannot cover council tax, even if you get Local Council Tax Support, however see the section below 'Council tax reduction' for support.

How to apply

You'll need to apply through your local council:

North Northamptonshire - Discretionary Housing Payments

West Northamptonshire - Discretionary Housing Payments

Help with application forms

If you need any help completing application forms, please get in touch with your housing officer who will be able to support you on 0300 1234 009 or at enquiries@midlandsrural.org.uk

If you’re on a low income or claiming benefits, you could be eligible for a reduction or other support paying your council tax bill.

Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction (West Northants Council) or Council Tax Support (North Northants Council) is financial help towards paying council tax. You can claim this if you're already claiming other benefits such as Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support or Universal Credit. You may also claim it if you are working but on low income.

Find out more about who is eligible and how to apply on their websites:

North Northants Council Tax Support

West Northants Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Hardship Fund - West Northamptonshire

West Northamptonshire have created a hardship fund to support residents in exceptional situations with payment of their council tax (they are not payments of council tax reduction). Find out more on their website:

West Northants - Council Tax Hardship Fund

Help with application forms

If you need any help completing application forms, please get in touch with your housing officer who will be able to support you on 0300 1234 009 or at enquiries@midlandsrural.org.uk

Find out more about Universal Credit, job seekers allowance and pension credit on our benefits page.

Entiteldto’s online benefits calculator is a great tool. It's free and completely independent.

The calculator will:

• provide you with a reliable estimate of your benefit entitlements
• help you understand if you're receiving the right amount of money in your benefit claims,
• and advise if you're eligible for other types of benefits.

Find out what benefits you may be entitled to with the entitledto calculator

Turn2us is a national charity providing practical help to people who're struggling financially.

They help people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through partner organisations.

Their website offers:

• an online benefits calculator
• an online grants search
• Turn2us direct grant-giving funds
• links to other sources of information and help

www.turn2us.org.uk

Age UK offer information and advice through a free, confidential national phone service for older people, their families, friends, carers and professionals.

They can help with:

• benefits
• retirement
• wellbeing
• money issues.

Find out more on the Age UK website or call on 0800 678 1602