Cost of living support
Get emergency help
- Community food support in your area - East Sussex 1Space
They provide food and other support to local people in crisis. - StepChange - emergency help
The charity StepChange advises on what to do if you are finding it difficult to pay for food and essential bills. - Furniture Now! and Hastings and Rother Furniture Service
Low cost furniture and appliances across East Sussex. Open for all, with discounts for people on benefits or on a low wage. Please take some evidence of your income. - Samaritans
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, the Samaritans can offer help and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Phone 116 123 or visit the website.
Crisis and Resilience Fund
We’re introducing a new crisis payment service for households facing a financial emergency. We expect this service to be available from September 2026.
Bills and energy costs
Check the MoneySavingExpert website for guides and tools to help you get the best deals on your household bills.
Register for priority services
Did you know that power and water companies give priority help to some customers when services are interrupted? But first you need to register for this help.
People who may qualify include pensioners, families with children under five, people with disability, serious illness or mental health difficulty and people who rely on medical equipment or refrigerated medicine.
Either South East Water or Southern Water will be your water supplier:
- Register for Priority Services with South East Water
- Register for Priority Services with Southern Water
Energy
If you rely on heating oil and are struggling with the recent rise in prices, you may be able to get financial support.
More than 3 million low-income households will get an automatic payment from the government to help pay their energy bills over the winter:
Warm Homes East Sussex is full of tips to help keep you warm and well at home.
Eligible residents can get a free warm home check. You can get advice and help on paying for heating, small works such as draughtproofing or boiler repairs, and help to check if you qualify for government-funded energy efficiency upgrades to your home, without having to worry about cold callers and scams.
The British Gas Energy Trust provides advice on energy and money. They also provide grants to families who are struggling with energy debt:
Energise Sussex Coast provide free energy advice home visits for residents in Hastings, Rother and Eastbourne:
Water
In East Sussex, Southern Water and South East Water provide payment schemes and some customers are eligible for discounts:
Broadband
- Broadband social tariffs - Ofcom
Social tariffs are cheaper broadband and phone packages for people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and some other benefits. Some providers call them ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband.
Debt and benefits
To find out about Universal Credit and other benefits you may be entitled to, visit: Benefits
Welfare benefits helpline
Are worries about money impacting your mental health? This service offers free, confidential advice and information. Open to people living in East Sussex Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Phone: 0333 344 0681 (03 calls cost no more than 01 or 02 numbers)
Email: benefitseastsussex@harcuk.com
Website: Welfare benefits helpline
National advice
- Check benefits and financial support you can get - GOV.UK
Find out what support you might be able to get to help with your living costs. - Benefits calculators - GOV.UK
You can use an independent, free and anonymous benefits calculator to check what you could be entitled to.
Free money advice
- Information and advice - East Sussex 1Space
East Sussex 1Space is a directory of organisations that offer a range of advice and support. This includes housing, money, legal, benefits and debt advice.
National organisations
Banks and building societies have lots of advice and support for their customers about managing their money. Check with your bank to see how they can help you.
National organisations that can help include:
- Money Helper
Online advice service approved by the government. It provides free, impartial advice on money and debt issues. - Citizens Advice
A range of information on their website, including information if you’re struggling with living costs. - Turn 2 Us
Personalised benefits and grants information. - StepChange
A national debt help charity giving free, confidential and expert advice. Support with a personal action plan for as long as its needed, online or over the phone. - Stop Loan Sharks
If you have borrowed from a loan shark or are worried about someone else, Stop Loan Sharks can provide emotional and practical support. - Independent Age
Information and advice for older people about finances in later life.
Gambling
There is free and confidential support if you gamble or are close to someone who does:
Credit unions
Credit unions are local, community-based organisations to help you with loans and saving.
Housing costs
You do not have to be living on the street to be homeless.
- Housing
Get advice if you’re homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. You can also get support with housing issues, such as tenancy and mortgage worries. - East Sussex Floating Support Service
This service at BHT Sussex provides help for people 16 and over with housing needs and helps families to avoid homelessness. - Homeless Prevention Employment Support - ESTAR
This service helps people who are at risk of homelessmess to increase their income so they can stay in their existing acommodation.
Mortgage rates
Rising mortgage rates have an impact on mortgage and rent payments.
- Moneyhelper
Advice for home owners and buyers on keeping up with payments and what to do if your fixed rate is ending.
Help for families
Nursery
School
Families on a low income may get help with:
Holiday Food and Fun clubs
A range of activities and food is available during school holidays at our holiday food and fun clubs. It’s free for children on benefit-related free school meals:
Post 16 education
If money worries are making it difficult for you to study, find out about help available from the UK Government:
Health costs
You might be eligible for help with health costs including travel.
- Help with health costs - NHS website
Find out about the NHS Low Income Scheme (LIS), help if you are on universal credit and personal health budgets.
- Non-emergency patient transport service
A specialist transport service for certain people who cannot make the journey to hospital by any other means due to a medical reason.
Period Bank at East Sussex libraries
Period Bank at East Sussex libraries is helping to tackle period poverty in East Sussex by providing donated period and hygiene products to anyone who needs them.
Help finding work or training
Employability and job seeking
- ESTAR works in partnership with a range of stakeholders to improve opportunities for those experiencing, or at-risk of homelessness in the county.
- Employability tools in libraries can help with job hunting, learning and other resources.
National advice
- National careers service
This service can help you to make decisions on learning, training and work at all stages of your career.
Adult learning
- Adult learning
Find out about courses to improve your English, maths and computer skills. - Free essential digital skills qualification - East Sussex College
Learn how to use digital devices, parental controls and how to be safe online.
Get this information in other formats
Training for professionals
If you act as a contact point in the community for people seeking information about money and finances, you can get Money Guiders training for free.
