It's a difficult time for many people across Salford, as the costs of energy, food and other bills continue to rise. This webpage is aimed at collating information to help groups support the people they work with but also volunteers and individuals within the city. This is a living document and will be amended over time.
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Getting Help
Finances - Emergency Funds
Spirit of Salford Helpline - is still available to get help, support and advice on lots of different issues that you might be facing at the moment, including advice about COVID and Home for Ukraine.
Salford Assist - is a Salford City Council scheme that can offer short-term support to people who are in a crisis, emergency or major disaster situation. The scheme doesn't offer cash payments but does try to help with essential items such as food, essential furniture, energy supply, council tax support and referrals to other services
Household Support Fund. - Vulnerable households in Salford can also access support to help them with the cost of living and other essentials such as purchasing food and keeping warm. Salford residents do not need to be in receipt of benefits to apply, However, applicants will need to provide evidence that they do not have the funds themselves to purchase the items requested. Please note that various information is required to complete the application such as your current energy supplier, a recent bank statement and Universal Credit Journal (where applicable).
For Housing - Have additional funding available, designed to help any of their tenants with a specific short-term need. There is no fixed criteria for applications as each one will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Finances - Support and Advice
Benefit Checkers - Depending on your situation, you can use the Turn2us, Entitledto and Policy in Practice benefit calculators to check which benefits you can get. You’ll need information about savings, income, pension, childcare payments and any existing benefits (for you and your partner). Salford Citizen Advice has produced further advice and has specialists that can help.
Budgeting Planning - Use the Salford Credit Union Budget planner to estimate your income and expenditure for a month.
Pension Credit - There is around £70m of pension top-up that remains unclaimed every year across Greater Manchester. With rising living costs, it’s so important that older residents don’t miss out on regular income that can really help meet growing household bills. Age UK have produced a factsheet with more information including how to claim.
Turn2us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. Many charities offer non-repayable grants to help individuals on low incomes. To be eligible you have to meet their particular rules. These may be based on your location, age, gender, current or past jobs or health condition. Some funds help based on details of your partner, ex-partner or dependent children. Do a search for yourself and a separate one for your partner, ex-partner or the person who needs help. If you are looking for a grant for a child or young person, do a search based on their background and circumstances as well as those of their parents/guardians Turn2Us grant search: Search for charitable and educational grants - Turn2us
Citizens Advice Salford provides Independent and provides free, confidential, impartial advice to everybody in the Salford area regardless of race, gender, sexuality or disability.
Mind in Salford provides welfare rights and debt advice for people in Salford who are over 18; are Salford residents or registered with a Salford GP, and have a mental health condition. Our advice is free, independent, impartial and confidential.
Salford Credit Union - provides safe, competitive and fair financial services to anyone that lives or works in Salford and those parts of North Manchester and Bury that fall within our ‘common bond’ membership area.
Salford Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service - will help you check your benefits and fill out forms.
Manchester City Council Cost of living advice line - If you've found that increases in food and energy bills mean you're really struggling financially, help is available. The number for the advice line is 0800 023 2692. This free telephone line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm
Food
Directory of Salford's network of Food Banks, Food Clubs and wider food provision - The Grants Team at Salford CVS have collected key information and created this interactive Food Directory map showing Salford's food banks, clubs, and provision. The map includes Salford’s Foodbanks (referral from a key worker needed), food clubs (no referral needed), and other provision such as hot meals and wider support with vouchers or food parcels. Please contact organisations directly if you require further information about their services and support. If you are an organisation and provide food provision, or a food club in Salford, and wish to be part of this map, or spot any issues with the content, please contact niamh.meehan@salfordcvs.co.uk
Thank you to Salford Foodshare network members who have hosted visits from Salford CVS, and thank you for the vital work that you do in our communities.
Healthy Start - If you have a child under four or are pregnant, you might be able to get a Healthy Start card to help you buy certain types of milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables. Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply on the NHS website.
School Meals - Always make sure you check to see if you are eligible to uptake free school meals. Children and young people in reception, year 1 and year 2 qualify no matter your income.
Housing and Homelessness
Salford Housing Options Point - has trained officers to help stop you from losing your home. They can also help you move to more suitable accommodation. You can make contact by telephone during the above opening hours on 0161 793 2020 and choose the appropriate option. If you need emergency accommodation outside our opening hours, please contact the Out of Hours service on 0161 794 8888.
Advice organisations such as Citizen Advice Service and Mind in Salford can also provide you with impartial advice.
To support organisations we have produced a downloadable factsheet of the local housing association and homelessness support organisations.
GMFRS Cost of Living - Stay Fire Safe - Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service wants to help you to stay safe from fire at home, at a time when the cost of living is rising. If you're thinking about doing things differently at home to bring down the price of your bills, it's important to remember to do so safely. This can include thinking about the hazards that come with changing your usual routine.
Utility Providers
Salford water is supplied by one company - United Utilities Trust Fund provides help with grants towards water debts
Many energy suppliers are offering grants and schemes to individuals who do not have to be existing customers, to help clear gas and electric bill debts. Citizen Advice has collated a list of the benefits, grants and help offered by the government and energy suppliers. But below is a list of links to individual schemes and programmes offered by suppliers -
For general help or advice on energy bills/grants/providers visit www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/
Changing your boiler settings - Changing the settings on your boiler may help you to save money. The money-saving boiler challenge can help explain how to do it and why it works.
For help with discounts and grants on paying heating bills visit www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/grant-grabbing/
For help with free instillation or boiler, grants visit Free loft insulation: Free boilers, loft & cavity wall - MSE (moneysavingexpert.com)
Depher - provides vulnerable people with access affordable and vital emergency works. It relies on public donations to cover all labour and materials, and provides free services during winter months and discounted services during summer.
Other Bills
If you’re struggling to pay your mobile, phone, internet or TV bill Citizen Advice has produced a guide on what you can do. There is also an approved list of comparison sites produced by Ofcom regarding telephone, broadband and TV deals.
Some providers offer cheaper packages that are only available to customers who receive certain government benefits. Ofcom collates a list of these tariffs.
White Goods / Household Items
Salford Assist can help with items such as essential white goods but there are also other organisations that can help -
- Mustard Tree - offers a wide range of furniture, clothes and household goods. In addition, they offer a 25% discount to anyone in receipt of housing, employment or incapacity benefits.
- Emmaus Salford - Discover quality second-hand furniture and goods at our Emmaus Salford Emporium in Swinton.
- BHF Salford Furniture & Electrical Store - sell a range of good quality pre-loved items as well as brand new goods
Alternatively, you can visit the websites below to search for free essential white goods/furniture needs. Please be aware, that you may have to collect these goods.
- Freecycle https://www.freecycle.org/
- Freegle https://www.ilovefreegle.org
Children and Young People
Salford Foundation Trust - supports applications from young people for a wide range of activities whether it be arts-based such as music tuition or participation in theatre groups or sporting activities with support for football club membership, swimming fees or access to a range of other sports.
BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme supports children and young people who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances and is delivered by Family Fund Business Services. The programme provides items that meet a child’s most basic needs such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker to provide a hot meal and other items or services critical to a child’s wellbeing.
Salford Baby Bank works in partnership with local Salford community groups to provide collection points for equipment and supplies that new parents need after the birth of a child. They work on a referral basis, but will accept referrals from any organisation that works within the Salford area.
Visit from the Stork - offer a range of services. Their Stork Support programme operates on a referral basis supplying baby essentials. Whilst the Stork Store aims to offer affordable toys and parenting products at affordable prices.
School uniform support - both Wood Street Mission and Emmaus run school uniform programmes and may be able to help.
Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health - GM Integrated Care Partnership have collated a list of mental health support services in Salford.
Health Costs - Help with Health Costs provides information about what you need to pay, help when on Universal Credit, travel costs and personal health budgets. Its sister site Help with Dental Costs provides information on entitlement to free NHS dental care and links to other guidance around NHS dental care and support.
You can check if you qualify for an exemption for paying for NHS costs, such as prescriptions and dental treatment. Or you can consider buying a prescription prepayment certificates (PPC) from the NHS which may make your prescriptions cheaper by paying a fee which covers all your prescriptions in a select period, no matter how many you need.
Other
Our organisation directory features a range of services and support delivered by local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.
Giving Help
Volunteer - There are a host of organisations across the city that need volunteers to support the work they do in Salford. You can find out more about volunteering opportunities in the city via our volunteer portal.
Donate Money - The Salford4Good Cost of Living Appeal has been set up to raise funds for charities, social enterprises and community groups across Salford to help them to continue their fantastic work and to help them cope with growing demand. Donating is simple just visit Just Giving to make a donation.
Donate to your local foodbank or food club. - You can donate to local foodbanks via donation points in supermarkets or at designated drop-off slots at your local food bank, club or charity including ourselves Salford CVS (Eccles Old Town Hall).. Donations are also being taken at any of the Gateway centres or Broughton Hub
Many foodbanks and charities have online donation pages. You can provide invaluable support for these front-line organisations by making a one-off or recurring donation so they are able to purchase essential provisions in these times of high demand.
Donating goods and items -
- Emmaus Salford - Emmaus can accept drop-off donations at their shops during opening hours or for larger items, they offer a free collection service. Please do not leave items for donation outside any of their shops. Check which items they can currently accept.
- Community Little Hulton - run a Food Club at their hub every Wednesday from 9.30am - 2pm. You can support the food club by donating cans, toiletries or dry goods. Donations can be left at the Community Hub 27- 29 Little Hulton District Centre M28 0BA.
- Mustard Tree - If donations can fit into a car, Mustard Tree would be grateful if you could drop them off at their hubs during their opening times. For larger food donations, Mustard Tree can arrange a collection – please call 0161 850 2282 or email information@mustardtree.org.uk to arrange.
Additional Information for VCSE Organisations
Managing financial difficulties in your charity - This guidance from the charity commission is for trustees, especially trustees of smaller charities, who may need help when facing difficult decisions about their charity’s financial position - Manage financial difficulties in your charity arising from cost of living pressures - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Charity Finance Group - has launched a cost-of-living hub with a variety of resources to support organisations to reduce costs and to support their staff.
Keeping buildings/venues warm - The Centre for Sustainable Energy has put together documents giving tips on how to save energy in community buildings.
CLIP: ‘A Warm Welcome. Setting up a warm space in your community’ - Although we believe in keeping warm in their own home this may be a useful resource for some organisations covering key information about running safe and warm activities this winter.
In-Kind Direct distribute quality consumer products, donated by some of the UK’s best-known manufacturers, retailers and brands, to charitable organisations across the UK. Registered charities, community groups, foodbanks and schools can join their network for free. Find out more here.
Grants and Funding - Salford CVS offer a range of live grants that may be suitable for your organisations. You can also search our funding portal or contact the team for funding advice.
Business planning support - our development team can offer a range of support to groups including funding advice and business planning support.
Citizens Advice Cost of Living Dashboard - insights from across our service on how the crisis is affecting the people we help.
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