Cost of living support in Lambeth
Millions of people across the UK are struggling to cover their essential household costs nowadays. The 'cost of living crisis' means we’re all paying a lot more for energy and food, and things like rent and fuel. This resource will provide practical tips and places to find support in Lambeth.
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Across Lambeth
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5 Steps

Introduction

The cost of living is the average amount of money that people in a particular place need in order to be able to afford basic food, housing, and clothing. Due to a variety of factors, the cost of living is rising faster than wages and salaries are increasing across the UK, leading to what is being referred to as the cost of living crisis. As a result, many are struggling to cover their essential household and living cost.
Struggling with money can be a stressful and lonely experience. Some people feel guilt or shame, or they worry about what others will think. This can be distressing and it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, and this is a challenging time for many people. Sorting things out might feel overwhelming, but know that there is support available.
This resource will provide practical tips and highlight where you can find support in Lambeth to help you navigate the cost of living crisis.
Tips to save money
Here are a couple of practical tips to help you save money. They may seem small but lots of small saving can add up to a big reduction.
- Start batch cooking - buying and cooking your food in bulk is an easy way to cut down your food bill and spend less time cooking. A study by Prep UK found that households could save up to £1,100 per year by batch cooking and could also free up to 3 hours of time each week.
- Try Cooking on a Bootstrap - anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe runs the website Cooking on a Bootstrap which provides a whole host of recipes which can be made for pennies per portion! All recipes are super healthy and the ingredients costed.
- Use loyalty cards - most supermarkets offer some form of loyalty cards that give you access to deals and sometimes discount the price of your overall shop. These are free and easy to get, so is a win-win strategy to save money on your food shop.
- Switch off standby - by turning off appliances fully and not leaving them on standby mode an average household could save up to £40 per year.
- Take less baths and shorter showers - heating water is a large part of the average household's bills. Reducing your time in the shower to 4 minutes per day could reduce the average annual household energy bill by +£45. Taking only one bath a week could also help to reduce energy bills further.
- Cooler washes - reducing the temperature of your washing cycles is another way to save money on your energy bill. Which found that 20°C is enough to wash effectively, when clothes are not heavily stained, which reduced the energy costs for the washing machine by 62% when compared with a 40°C wash.
If you're looking for more tips to save money, check out Money Saving Expert's cost of living survival guide which has loads more tips and tricks.
Support from Lambeth Council
Lambeth Council has a number of support schemes and services to help you deal with the cost living crisis.
- Household Support Scheme - this can help if you’re a resident facing hardship, a crisis, emergency or disaster, including struggling to pay bills or afford food. The scheme provides vouchers for food, fuel, refurbished white good, second hand furniture, handy man service etc. Find out more and apply here.
- Discretionary Housing Payment - this is for those who need more financial support with the cost of housing. This can be on top of your normal housing benefit and is given out on a discretionary basis. Find out more and apply here.
- Council Tax Support - if you are struggling to pay your council tax, you can apply via the Lambeth Council website to pay less council tax, change your payment plan or get financial advice. Find out more and apply here.

Bonus: Southwark’s food and fun holiday programme 2022 - Southwark council is running a school holiday activity and food programme for children aged 4 to 16 on benefits related free school meals. Find out more here.
Lambeth are also launching a holiday activities spring 2023 programme! Keep your eyes peeled for more information on Lambeth's website.
Food Banks in Lambeth
Food banks are designed to provide short-term, emergency support during crises like the one we face today. They aim to relieve that immediate pressure by providing food, but also offer additional support so that people don’t need to use the food bank again in the future.
Here's a list of food banks in Lambeth that may be able to support you:


- Waterloo Foodbank
- Vauxhall Foodbank
- Norwood & Brixton Foodbank - with three hubs across West Dulwich and Streatham
- Clapham park Foodbank
Although it's not a food bank, Community Shop in West Norwood can also support you with food. It is a social supermarket selling low-cost, high-quality surplus food to hundreds of people on income support - meaning high quality food at super low cost prices. Follow the link to find out more about how to access this service.
Get Advice
Struggling with money can be a stressful and lonely experience but there are people to talk to. This page lists organisations and place you can go to get advice and support on dealing with the cost of living.

The Brixton Advice Centre provides non-judgemental advice on whole variety of issues and can help you access the support you are entitled to.
Citizens Advice have a Lambeth hub located in Kennington, they also provide free, impartial advice to help you navigate the cost of living crisis.
Lighting Reach support and advise people helps anyone facing financial hardship to receive support, recover from shocks and achieve financial resilience. They have a portal that can help you to find and apply for grants.