Help through Hardship helpline

We know it’s a tough time for many people. If you’re worried about money and feel overwhelmed, we’re here to help. Our friendly advisers will ask some questions to understand your situation and offer you personalised advice.  

We might be able to give you information on how to claim extra benefits, and let you know about other grants and support you can apply for. And if you can't afford to pay for essentials, we’ll try to get you emergency support. 

What is the Help through Hardship helpline?

The Help through Hardship helpline is a free phone service delivered in partnership with Citizens Advice. Our advisers have already helped thousands of people who are worried about money and are here to help you access the support you need.

What we can do to help:

There’s lots of different ways to get financial support. We want to make sure you know about everything you could apply for. Our advisers will be able to give you advice based on your circumstances. When you call us, here are some of the things we can do: 

• Check you’re getting all the benefits you’re eligible for 
• Advise on any extra benefits you might be able to get 
• Identify any grants you might be able to apply for 
• Refer you to Mind’s Infoline for support and information to help you take care of your mental wellbeing 
• Give advice on energy efficiency and smart meters  
• Help you get some emergency support if you can’t afford essentials

How to contact Help through Hardship

If you’re experiencing hardship, you’re not alone. We’ll work with you to help you find a way forward.

Call our free, confidential helpline on 0808 208 2138 to speak to a friendly adviser.

Open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. Closed on public holidays.

If you live in England or Wales, you can access the service. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, see other ways to get help.

Accessible options

If you have difficulties communicating on the phone, require translation or British Sign Language interpretation, the below options can help you.

British Sign Language

You can contact the helpline with a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter from SignVideo. This service is available Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm (except bank holidays).  You will not be charged for using the SignVideo service but your normal data costs will apply. You’ll need a device with a camera and stable internet access.  

Clicking the link below will start a SignVideo session:

Connect to a SignVideo BSL interpreter via video (the interpreter will phone a Help through Hardship adviser).

SignVideo will not record the video, but the voice conversation between your interpreter and Help through Hardship will be recorded by Citizens Advice for quality and monitoring purposes.  For more information about how your personal information is used, see the Citizens Advice privacy policy and the SignVideo privacy policy. 

Interpretation 

Please ask the Help through Hardship adviser if you need an interpreter. This will be provided via Language Line.

Assistance with phone calls

Relay UK can help you communicate over the phone if you have hearing or speech difficulties.

Find out how to use Relay UK