Hammersmith & Fulham Council wants to help you, your family and neighbours tackle any pressures caused by the high cost of living.
Across the last year we invested £6.8million into cost-of-living support and are continuing to work with local organisations and community groups to provide support for anyone who needs.
Cllr Rebecca Harvey, H&F Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Community Safety, said:
We want to make sure that your household is receiving everything you need to stay warm, keep the lights on and feel supported this winter. We know that gas and electricity bills grow during the colder months and add to existing cost-of-living pressures. We have lots of support on offer to help relieve these expenses. Please visit our website to find out how we can help you."
Do you or someone you love need help? Read on to learn more about some of the support schemes designed to help you or flick through our 2024 cost of living booklet, filled with support and resources, online here.
Hardship prevention support
If you're in a financial emergency and need immediate assistance, apply for a hardship prevention payment.
These are one-off payments of up to £900 to help with essential living costs, such as food, gas and electricity. This includes older residents in fuel hardship or who are worried about keeping warm through the winter.
Support for families
Struggling with school costs?
We can help with school uniform and travel grants. We also serve up free breakfasts daily in our 22 primary schools and offer a free lunch at our school holiday clubs.
Parents can also receive up to £500 every three months for each child, to help with the cost of childcare. Find details here.
Families with a child who has health problems could be entitled to Disability Living Allowance, which could provide extra money to help with the costs of extra care needs.
Support for older residents
Residents aged 66 and over with a low income are eligible for pension credit payments – worth £3,900 a year on average. This is money, separate from your state pension, that helps pay for living costs including council tax, ground rent, and service charges.
Those 75 and over who claim pension credit are also eligible for a free TV licence.
Lots of people eligible for this support don't realise they can apply. Make sure that's not you, check to see if you or a family member is eligible for this support.
Older residents who are not eligible for pension credit and who are no longer receiving winter support payments may qualify for a £250 payment from H&F Council. We will be contacting eligible residents over the coming weeks about this support.
And if you, or someone you know, would benefit from help at home with everything from personal care to assistance with medication, get in touch.
H&F is the only council in the country to offer this service for free to older and Disabled residents. Find out more about our home care support service.
Residents who need help with their daily care can also apply for support including Attendance Allowance if they are not already receiving personal independence payments.
Support for local organisations
If you run a voluntary or community organisation working to ensure households receive essential aid, grants are available from our £180,000 Winter Support Fund.
Applications for the fund close midday, Tuesday 7 January 2025.
Find out more about our Winter Support Fund and other grants your organisation may be eligible for.
Find out more
You can find more information about this support on our dedicated cost-of-living support webpages and, from January, in our newly updated Cost of Living booklet.
If you're a resident of Hammersmith & Fulham, our Cost of Living team can help you to access support and provide guidance and advice on local services.
Contact us on our free phone number 0800 917 6994 – the line is open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Or visit us at 145 King Street in Hammersmith, between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Alternatively, you can email us at costoflivingteam@lbhf.gov.uk.
