With the cost of living crisis impacting everyone, you may be able to get additional support to help you.
From help with accessing grants, benefits and managing your finances to support schemes, wellbeing advice and more. Find out what support is available to you in Cardiff, below:
Tenant Support Scheme
Cardiff Council provide personalised support services to families and individuals to help them overcome issues in order to maintain their accommodation and live independently.
Support can be provided to help with housing related issues or to help in setting up a new tenancy.
Support will be provided in areas such as:
- resolving arrears and debts
- threat or risk of losing tenancy
- starting a new tenancy
- budgeting advice
- vulnerability
- ability to cope with tenancy issues
- confidence building
- general health and safety in the home
- utility connection
- obtaining support from other agencies
To qualify for the scheme, you must be:
- aged 16 or over
- living in Cardiff, and
- either at risk of losing your accommodation, about to start a tenancy or be potentially homeless.
In order to be able to get the service the individual must be vulnerable and be facing a particular barrier that prevents them from accessing advice and support services.
A referral form will need to be completed giving full details of the clients’ needs. If they meet the criteria, an assessment will be carried out by an experienced support provider organisation.
If the scheme can help then a support worker will be appointed to assist the client so together, they can address the person’s housing support needs.
- Floating support for tenants (cardiff.gov.uk)
- Housing advice and support (cardiff.gov.uk)
- Call: 029 2053 7342
- Email: floatingsupportteam@cardiff.gov.uk
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice Cardiff & Vale provide free, independent and impartial advice to the residents of the City and County of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
They can offer help and support with:
- Dealing with debt & money issues
- Finding out what benefits you’re entitled to
- Housing support & advice
- Employment support
- Immigration help & support
- Family rights & support
- Legal & Civil rights support
- Your health care rights
We receive funding to deliver energy best deal sessions across Cardiff and the Vale. Funding comes via energy companies and Citizens Advice.
Clients requiring specialist help are referred to appropriate specialist providers and services, both internally and externally.
Find out more information: www.cacv.org.uk
Advicelink
Advicelink aims to help people access the right advice, at the right time and make it easier for them to access services again if they need further help. Residents of Cardiff and Vale can contact the Cardiff and Vale Advicelink service by:
- Calling: 0808 278 7925
- Relay UK — if you can’t hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 08082 505 720
This service can be accessed between 9am and 6pm Mondays and Thursdays, and between 9am and 5pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Cardiff Advice Service
Cardiff Advice Service (CAS) is made up of the Citizens Advice Bureau and Speakeasy Advice. The service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.
CAS value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.
The service can provide advice on virtually any issue, including:
- Welfare Benefits
- Debt
- Housing
- Family and Relationship
- Employment Law
- Immigration
- Discrimination and
- Consumer Issues
There are drop-in centres in 20 locations across Cardiff and CAS can provide home visits where appropriate. You can find details on the various drop-in locations and opening times by:
- Visiting their website.
- Calling: 029 2087 1016
Cardiff Council
Cardiff Council offer a range of support from their website for Cardiff residents. The support includes:
Free School meals
Primary and secondary school pupils will get free school meals if their family receives:
- Income Related Employment Support Allowance
- Income Based JobsSeeker’s Allowance
- Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit, orChild Tax Credit with an income less than £16,190Universal Credit if the net household earnings is less than £7400.
*Families who get Working Tax Credit do not qualify.
Once you submit an application, you will be notified in writing of the outcome.
If you are eligible for free school meals, your child’s school will be notified so that they can update their records.
Free school meals are awarded for each child separately and not for the household.
You do not need to re-apply if your child moves to another school in the borough. Records will be amended, and the new school will be informed of your eligibility once the council are aware.
Additional Support Includes:
- Early years funding
- Student support
- School transport
- Disabled student allowance, and,
- Further education funding
More information can be found, here.
Warm Wales
Warm Wales is Wales’ oldest Community Interest Company working to tackle fuel poverty by offering free advice and support to ensure people across Wales and South-West England have warm and safe homes.
They have a team of trained energy advisors and community workers to help provide advice, referrals, and access to grants such as gas connection grants to ensure no one is living in unsafe and cold homes.
Their ‘Healthy Homes, Healthy People’ project is available to everyone and can help support you in reducing your energy bills, applying for schemes and supporting those affected mentally by fuel poverty.
You can find out more about the support they offer, here.
- Call (Head Office): 01656 747 622
- Email: information@warmwales.org.uk
Additional Help Contact Details:
Discretionary Assistance Fund – Find out if you are eligible and apply for the Discretionary Assistance Fund.
- Call: 0800 859 5924 (freephone)
- Visit: www.gov.wales/discretionary-assistance-fund-daf
PDG Access Grant – Can help with costs of school uniform, sports kit, ICT equipment & learning resources (from Reception to Year 11).
EYST Multilingual Helpline Wales – Information about welfare entitlements, housing and employment advice in a range of languages.
- Call: 0808 801 0720
- Text: 07537 432 416
- Visit: www.multilingualhelpline.wales
Advicelink – Advicelink Cymru offers advice on welfare benefits, debt, employment, education, housing, immigration and discrimination.
- Call: 0800 702 2020
National Energy Action – Warm and Safe Homes Advice Service Advice to householders on energy bills and keeping warm and safe at home.
- Call: 0800 304 7159
- Visit: www.nea.org.uk
Healthy Start – Vouchers to help buy fruit, vegetables and milk if you’re on a low income and pregnant or have a child under 4.
- Apply online: www.healthystart.nhs.uk
If you need to access support in the RCT, click here.
If you need any additional support with your finances, get in touch with our Money Advice Team.
This piece is from our tenant magazines that you can read online. If you’re living in RCT, you can read our valleys magazine or if you’re living in Cardiff, you can read our y bae magazine.
For more support with the cost of living crisis, visit our dedicated Cost of Living page.