Help with budgeting and the cost of living
If you’ve missed a payment or think you might – we’re here to help you.
On this page, you’ll find information to help you create a budget and find support with the cost of living. This could be useful if you’re worried about falling behind with your mortgage payments, or if you’re already struggling.
With the cost of living rising, it’s normal to be concerned about money and debt. If you’re trying to carefully manage your finances, setting a realistic budget can be a great first step to help you stay in control.
As part of your budget, make a list of your debts and work out which ones are highest priority, and which are less important to you. For most people, it makes sense to pay essential expenses and priority debts such as your mortgage or rent, before any non-essential expenses or lower priority debts.
There are some useful resources available to help you build a sensible budget and find help with the cost of living. We’ve listed some below.
If you’re worried about the rising cost of living, you’re not alone.
Our partners PayPlan have developed BudgetSmart to help. You can use it to look at what you may be struggling to afford and use the tools and tips provided to help you cut costs.
It has information and tips covering car and home insurance, food, clothes and shoes, utility bills and much more. BudgetSmart could help you save money.
There’s also a benefits calculator you can use to check if you may be missing out on anything you’re entitled to.
MoneyHelper provide free, clear and unbiased advice to help you make the most of your money.
Their will help you to know exactly where your money is being spent, and how much you’ve got coming in.
The MoneyHelper website contains a huge range of resources that could also be useful for you – such as dedicated section about the rising cost of living with helpful cost of living guides.
StepChange is a registered charity offering free, confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt.
Their website has a section focused on making a budget. This contains hints, tips, FAQs and a clear list of steps to help you get started.
You may be able to get help with essential costs from your local council. This is sometimes known as ‘the Household Support Fund’. This could help if you’re struggling to afford things like:
- energy and water bills
- food
- essential items
Your council may also offer food vouchers to families during the school holidays.
Who the Household Support Fund is for
Funding is aimed at anyone who’s vulnerable or cannot pay for essentials. You do not have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council. If you do get benefits, they won’t be affected if you get payment from a Household Support Fund scheme.
Find out about schemes in your area
Councils decide how to run their schemes. There may be differences in:
- eligibility criteria
- if or how you need to apply
- who money is given to
For example, some councils share out money through local charities and community groups and some limit household applications to one per year. Check with your local council to find out what support is available.
Talk to us about your situation
Discussing money problems isn’t easy, but we have lots of experience helping customers who are having difficulties making payments so call us now and we’ll try to help you in any way we can.
Please note, this page contains links to external websites. We are not responsible for the content of external websites.