#MoreThanFood – Help with the cost of living

Help and support in your community, by your community.

Times are tough for most people at the moment, but if it’s becoming a strain and your’e having to make difficult choices between bills and food, there is help and advice available. We work closely with Wigan Council and Citizens Advice Wigan Borough, amongst many others, and both have brilliant resources that are there for you.
Please, don’t suffer in silence. The people of your town are here to support you, as you would them, so please use that support.
You can contact Citizens Advice on 08082787801 or 01942709709 (Mon – Fri. 9.30 -2) or visit their website and click contact at the top to choose the best option for you, by clicking ‘here’

Visit the Wigan Council welfare support page or call 01942705221

More options

Turn2us are another very good resource with lots of information, practical help and lots of tools to help you through your situation. They offer practical advice on all things financial, including a benefits calculator to check you’re getting the support you’re entitled to, and a list of grants(including government cost of living grants) that you check the criteria for, to see if/how you can get them. They also offer advice on energy, water and all other household bills, including food shopping.

Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations.

StepChange are primarily a debt advice charity but they also offer lots of advice and help with coping with the cost of living crisis, and the various help on offer, they’re well worth checking out.  You can also seek advice if your financial situation is resulting in debts.

EntitledTo  Are a good resource with advice and the various schemes that may be available to you, including social tariffs for broadband and help with water bills etc.

Some broadband  firms now offer social tariffs for people on benefits, and those that don’t will usually allow you to move penalty free. Speak to your provider to see what your options are.
We have also see some mobile providers start to offer social tariffs but not many at the moment,

A number of places now offer a school uniform exchange, to help parents that are struggling to but part, or all, of the uniforms for their kids.  You can contact your child’s school and ask if they offer the service, or who does, or keep an eye out on your social media. Joseph Holt Brewery are running a uniform store, with parents able to collect from their local pub. Click here to find your local (it may be worth ringing to check they have yours in stock)

And of course, you can still apply for a foodbank voucher.  Visit our How to get help  page.

If you or anyone you know anyone is struggling, please know, or let them know help is only a phone call away and nobody is judging you for asking for help. We all need a shoulder at some point and I’m pretty sure you would be ready to help if you knew someone needed it, so you deserve the help in return.

The agencies above are independent and not governed by or the responsibility of Atherton & Leigh foodbank.
We do know they have your best interests in mind and will do all they can to help you.

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