Cost of living support

• Food support: Find your nearest food bank. If you use Facebook, check out Hurst Green Community fridge or Lingfield Larder for local food help.
• Healthy Start vouchers: If you're at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four, you may be eligible for free vitamins and Health Start vouchers for milk, fruit, vegetables and infant formula milk.
• Free school meals: If you or your child receive certain benefits, you can apply for free school meals from Year 3 and above.
• Warm space: Find your nearest warm space.

If you are worried about money, these organisations can help:

• Tandridge Household support fund: Financial help for essential costs like food, energy bills and essentials for residents.
• Surrey’s online hub: A central resource for local support, including financial advice and community services.
• Surrey Crisis Fund: Provides urgent support for essential like food, utilities and household appliances.
• Citizen's Advice: Free, confidential advice on money, benefits, housing and your rights.
• Money Saving Expert: Tips and tools to cut bills, manage your money and find the best deals.
• Moneyhelper: Free government backed service offering clear and impartial financial guidance.
• Energy provider hardship grants: Contact your supplier (details on your bill) to ask about non-repayable hardship grant. If they can't help, try the British Gas Energy Trust Individuals and Families Fund or call 0121 348 7797. They offer grants of up to £1,500.  

• Winter fuel payment: Pensioners receiving Pension Credit are eligible for up to £300 through the government’s annual Winter Fuel Payment.
• 0% VAT on energy saving materials: Up until 31 March 2027, there is no VAT on items like thermal insulation and solar panels. This makes it cheaper to improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce heating bills.
• Home upgrade grant: If your home is not mainly heated by mains gas, you may be eligible for help.
• Water bill support: SES Water and South East Water offer payment support and debt help for customers facing debt.

• Council tax support: Find out how to claim.

Check if you are eligible for means-tested benefits using these independent benefit calculators. It is a good idea to compare more than one to get the best results:

• Turn2us
• Policy in Practice
• entitledto

• Mental health and money: If money worries are affecting your mental health, MoneyHelper’s website offers support.
• Healthy Surrey: A local hub offering health, wellbeing and financial support, including mental health services.
• Samaritans: Call 116 123 for free, confidential support if you're struggling emotionally.
• NHS prescription savings: Save money on prescriptions by prepaying for them.
• You can reduce costs on sanitary products by using menstrual underwear, reusable pads or menstrual cups. If you can’t afford sanitary products, you can get free products at:
• District foodbanks.
• Morrisons - ask for Sandy.
• Caterham Hill, Caterham Valley and Oxted libraries.

If you are over state pension age, you may be eligible for pension credit even if you own your home or have savings. Check your eligibility online, or call 0800 99 1234.

• Tax-free childcare: Available for children aged up to 11, or 17 if the child has a disability.  
• Childcare Choices: Find out how you can save money on your childcare.

• Disability Living Allowance:  If you are physically or mentally disabled, and under the age of 16.
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP): If you are over 16 and are not state pension age.
• Attendance allowance: If you are state pension age or older.

You may be eligible for Carer’s allowance  if you provide at least 35 hours of care weekly, such as helping with washing, cooking, appointments and household tasks and the person you care for receives one of these benefits:

• Personal Independence Payment.
• Disability Living Allowance.
• Attendance Allowance.
• Constant Attendance Allowance.
• Armed Forces Independence Payment.
• Child/Adult Disability Payment.

For more details, check eligibility and how to apply.

• You can get up to a third off train fares with a railcard in Great Britain, saving up to £142 a year on average.
• You may be eligible for a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card if you are on Universal Credit.
• You can apply for a bus pass for free travel when you reach state pension age.
• You may be eligible for a disabled person’s pass.