Financial advice

Find advice services to help you manage your finances and support you with the cost of living.

Support and guidance

We've put together the following resources to help you manage your money and find out who to talk to if you need urgent help.

Most of the support and resources linked to in these pages is provided by services outside of Brighton & Hove City Council.  

The external links we’ve included are suggestions to support you through the cost of living crisis.  

Help with your bills 

For general help if you’re struggling with the cost of living, contact our Community Hub.  

Go to our Get emergency help with food, energy bills and other essentials page or phone 01273 293 117 and select option 1. 

The Hub is open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 4.30pm.

Rent, mortgages and Council Tax 

Find links to:

Energy and water 

Find links to:

Advice and information – Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP)

LEAP is a free service that is helping people keep warm and reduce their energy bills without costing them any money.

LEAP works in partnership with the council and has helped lots of people in Brighton & Hove reduce their energy bills. Advisors can:

  • give practical advice on heating systems and saving energy
  • fit free energy saving kit in your home (such as lightbulbs and draught-proofing)
  • check if you are eligible for insulation or a new boiler
  • arrange a free, confidential money advice telephone call to help with benefits, debt and other money problems.

To book a free energy advice phone call or home visit:

Get your gas appliances checked

The Health and Safety Executive recommends that homeowners should gas appliances checked.

Getting household gas appliances and pipes checked in summer can ensure homes are safe while also helping to keep bills lower in winter. 

Find more information about getting gas appliances checked and support if you're struggling to pay for checks. 

Food 

Brighton & Hove Food Partnership

Find links to:

Brighton & Hove Food Partnership are a non-profit organisation, helping people learn to cook, eat a healthy diet, to grow their own food and to waste less food.

To see if they can help you: 

  • phone 01273 431 700 
  • send an email to info@bhfood.org.uk 
  • visit Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YD 

NHS healthy start scheme

Apply for the NHS healthy start scheme.

Eating on a budget

Read the government guide to cheap healthy meals: eating on a budget 

Childcare 

Find links to:

Support if you receive benefits 

Benefits advice and challenging decisions - The Welfare Rights team

Our Welfare Rights team aim to help you get the most from your benefits by:

  • giving benefit advice
  • training other organisations to give benefit advice
  • publishing information about claiming benefits
  • working with organisations that can offer legal help
  • representing you if you make a benefits appeal, or if your benefit claim is turned down

If you need advice on your right to claim benefits you can:

Find more information at:

Cost of Living support website

The Cabinet Office has launched the ‘Help for Households’ campaign. It explains the 41 different government schemes available to help with the cost of living, including new one-off payments as well as existing benefits and schemes.

Find more information on these schemes on the Cost of Living Support website.

Cost of Living Payments

If you claim some benefits, you might be eligible for an additional £650 from the UK Government, spread over 2 Cost of Living Payments.

The first payment will be for £326, and the second payment of £324 will be paid later in the year. You don’t need to contact anyone; your payment is automatic. Find out what you will get and when you will receive a payment.

Support if you’re disabled or a carer

Find links to:

Money, debt and mental health 

Find links to:

Support in a mental health emergency 

  • Mental Health Rapid Response Service - offers mental health crisis support. Phone 0300 304 0078 free, 24 hours a day.  
  • Sussex Mental Healthline – freephone 0300 5000 101 – provides 24/7 support from registered clinicians. As well as crisis support it provides psychological support to anyone with general concerns about their mental health, and if needed they can refer you for local assessment and treatment  
  • Samaritans – whatever you're going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. call 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year  
  • Preventing Suicide in Sussex - for anyone at risk or concerned about someone 
  • UOK is a Brighton-based hub that signposts to available local support, ranging from help with talking therapies, sleep, mindfulness, money and debt, and domestic abuse. Call 0808 196 1768 for free  

General financial education and guidance 

Free money advice 

MoneyHelper is a free and impartial advice service for help with everyday money, homes, pensions, work and more. 

Chat to one of the MoneyHelper Service team via their online portal. 

You can also use the service on WhatsApp. Add +44 7701 342 744 to your contacts and send the MoneyHelper Service’s national support team a message for help with sorting out your debts, credit questions and pensions guidance. 

Citizens Advice also offer free financial advice. 

The Financial Conduct Authority allows you to conduct checks on any firm or person you’re dealing with for your finances.   

Benefits calculators 

Using a benefits calculator can help you find out if you’re entitled to any benefits.  

Find links to:

Checking your credit score 

You can easily check your credit report and it's totally free.  

There are 3 credit agencies which hold credit reports on you:

  • Equifax
  • Experian
  • TransUnion (formerly Callcredit).

It's best to check all 3 reports once a year, because they all have an impact on your ability to borrow. 

You can check your credit score for free: 

  • Experian – use the Money Saving Expert Credit Club, which offers full access to your Experian credit report for free anytime 
  • Equifax – use Clearscore, which provides free access to your Equifax report. 
  • TransUnion – use Credit Karma, which gives you free access to your TransUnion report