Birmingham City Council has produced a leaflet to offer guidance to residents on support available during the cost of living crisis in the UK. They want to support as many residents as possible and have provided information on a network of warm spaces, advice on money & benefits, energy efficiency and food support.
A small selection of the information from the leaflet is available below. You can see the whole Help in Brum leaflet here.
Warm Welcome
The Council are working with the local community and a partnership of voluntary and community sector organisations to expand a network of warm spaces. These spaces will be available for people to use and visit during the winter period and beyond. There are several existing Warm Welcome Spaces within local communities across the city. Warm Welcome Spaces are inclusive, non-judgmental, heated, and free to access.
You can find details of current Birmingham Warm Welcome Spaces at
www.birmingham.gov.uk/warmwelcome Keeping checking back online as more spaces will be launched weekly.
Benefits and Money Advice
During the cost of living crisis, it is also important to ensure you have access
to the right benefits and money advice for you. There are several information
portals below which can help.
To find out what benefits you are entitled to, it is best to use the Benefits
Calculator provided by the Government. Find out more by using this link
www.gov.uk/check-benefits-financial-support
Birmingham City Council has also developed several support factsheets which
provide useful information on a range of debt related issues. You can view and
download Information on www.birmingham.gov.uk/debtadviceteam
Energy Efficiency
As energy costs rise we are committed to reducing energy bills and helping everyone to keep warm as we head into the winter months. There are several schemes already available for residents, with full information and guidance available at www.birmingham.gov.uk/energyhelp
Food Support
The cost of living crisis has made it much more difficult for many people
to afford food. If this is something you are experiencing, there are several
information points below which can help.
- To find a food bank or other food support visit https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/foodhelp
- If you are 10 weeks pregnant or more, have a child under four years old, or you or your family get certain benefits, you may be able to qualify for a Healthy Start card. To find out more and way to apply visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/healthystart
- You can also check if your child can get free school meals, visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/school-meals to see if you are eligible.