Benefits advice

Get advice on benefits, including what you're entitled to and how to claim.

Council Tax Support

If you’re on a low income or receiving certain benefits, you may be able to claim Council Tax Support.

Household Support Fund

You may be eligible for a grant if you receive Council Tax Support or free school meals, or are struggling with the cost of living.

Local Welfare Support Scheme

If there is a risk to your health and safety or you need help to resettle or remain in Merton, you could be eligible for The Local Welfare Support Scheme (LWSS).

Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth (CAML)

If you need information and advice on welfare benefits, debt and budgeting, housing, immigration and more, contact CAML. They also offer specialist services for disability welfare benefits and cost of living. CAML’s Cost of Living team are available at Colliers Wood Library on Mondays, Wide Way Medical Centre on Tuesdays, Wimbledon Library on Thursdays and Pollards Hill Library on Fridays.

CroydonPlus

CroydonPlus aims to support you in managing your personal finances. They can help you make the most out of your money. If you live or work in Croydon, Merton or Sutton, join CroydonPlus Credit Union today and start saving regularly. They’ll help you manage your finances and you'll get access to affordable and very competitive loans.

South West London Law Centres (money advice and webinars)

You can access an advice service on money and housing as well as free money webinars.

The South West London Law Centres also provides independent legal advice about social welfare issues including housing, debt, immigration and employment.

Call the Money Advice Team on 020 8667 9252 or email enquiries@swllc.org.

Commonside Community Development Trust

If you're a family or adult in need, get support with applying for benefits and housing advice.

The Commonside Trust is also a member of the Merton Community Fridge Network, redistributing surplus food to residents in need.

You can contact the Trust on 020 8764 9582 or email Jenny@commonside.net.

National Debtline Breathing Space Scheme

This scheme gives you time to receive debt advice and find a solution to sort out debt problems. Breathing space will last for 60 days as long as applicants remain eligible, during this time all creditors who have been included must stop any collection or enforcement activity.

Wimbledon Guild one-off grants

If you are in need financial help and have no other access to money, you can apply for a one-off grant from Wimbledon Guild to help with the cost of food, electricity, household appliances or school uniforms.

Age UK Merton support

If you are State Pension age or older, or a family member or carer of a pensioner, you can contact Age UK Merton for advice and information about benefits, housing, transport, redundancy, pensions and retirement as well as concerns about health, relationships or isolation. For more information call 020 8648 5792 or email advice@ageukmerton.org.uk

Age UK Merton also has a range of other services for those aged 50+ in Merton.

Springfield Advice and Law Centre

Springfield Advice and Law Centre is an independent charity, providing specialist advice on debt, welfare benefits, housing and community care matters.  The main Law Centre office is based at Springfield University Hospital and is open to clients, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, with priority given to those who are also patients of the South West London Mental Health NHS Trust.

The centre provides services by outreach, on selected days, at Wilson Hospital CMHT, Mitcham Library, Morden Hall Medical Centre and at Jubilee Health Centre East in Wallington. Advice is available by both appointment and drop-in (subject to staff availability and venue). Call the main office number on 020 8767 6884, to find out more.

Thames Water financial support for residents

From 1 April 2024 Thames Water changed the eligibility criteria for their social tariff to help those most impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. Rather than looking solely at income, they now compare customers’ water bills with their income and consider how many people live in the home.

The Thames Water Extra Care team undertakes income and expenditure reviews with customers and identify the best support.

The Thames Water Priority Services Register (PSR) supports households who need extra care – such as those with dementia, or who have mobility issues.

The Thames Water financial support programme includes:

• WaterHelp, which provides 50% off bills for households whose bills are more than 5% of their net income, taking into account the number of occupants.
• WaterSure caps bills at £471 (2024/2025) for households with large families or water-dependent medical conditions.

Warm Spaces

If you’re worried that you won’t be able to afford to keep your home warm, you’re welcome to come to one of the borough’s many Warm Spaces. All participating venues are heated and free to enter.

Home insulation audits and grants

Check your home's energy efficiency and save money with Thinking Works. They provide 'Winter Warmth' home visits and telephone advice services, and refer clients on to 70 partner organisations for assistance.

Thinking Works can also check if you are eligible for grants for insulation and heating works.

This service is available if you are aged 65 or over, or have a long-term health condition or disability, or are on a low income. Call 0800 118 23 27 to find out more.

View a presentation by Thinking Works on energy saving

Warm & Well 

It’s really important to put your health first this winter. Our Warm & Well in Merton programme offers advice and support to help residents manage with the increasing cost of living. Look out for upcoming events.

Warm & Well in Merton is delivered in partnership with Wimbledon Guild, Age UK Merton and Thinking Works.

Cold Weather Payment 

Some residents will be eligible for a Cold Weather Payment of £25 for every 7 day period of very cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. Check your eligibility and if you can get a payment in your area.

Great British Insulation Scheme

See if you qualify for a new wave of Government funding to reduce the cost of insulation, helping you to save money on your energy bills. Homeowners, landlords, or tenants with homes rated EPC D to G, or those in Council Tax bands A-D may be eligible. This replaces the Mayor of London’s Warmer Homes Programme, which ran over 2022 and 2023.

Food banks

Food banks can give you emergency food and support if you’re in crisis. They are charities that provide food to people who have difficulty buying enough. Find out when and where food banks are open in Merton.

Wimbledon Foodbank

If you need emergency food support, you can access foodbanks located in Wimbledon, Mitcham, Morden and Pollards Hill. A voucher is required. For locations and opening times, check our Food Banks page. For more information email wimbledonfoodbank@gmail.com

Merton Community Hub

If you need support with paying for bills or shopping, Merton Community Hub can provide a free foodbank voucher or an emergency food parcel.

Merton Community Fridge

You can access free food parcels for yourself or a loved one in Merton on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Check our Food Banks page. For more information email communityfridge@sustainablemerton.org

Dons Local Actions Group 

Dons Local Action Group provides emergency food parcels to households as well as bulk food deliveries to other food support organisations. Call 020 3301 4511 or email info@donslocalaction.org

NHS Healthy Start scheme

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy milk, infant milk formula, and fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it to use in some UK shops. Benefit will be added onto this card every 4 weeks. For more information, call 0345 607 6823.

Eat Like a Londoner Campaign

We have joined the Eat Like a Londoner Campaign to help our residents eat better, save money and help the planet. Check out recipes, hacks tips, tricks and more.

Home insulation audits and grants

Check your home's energy efficiency and save money with Thinking Works. They provide 'Winter Warmth' home visits and telephone advice services, and refer clients on to 70 partner organisations for assistance.

Thinking Works can also check if you are eligible for grants for insulation and heating works.

This service is available if you are aged 65 or over, or have a long-term health condition or disability, or are on a low income. Call 0800 118 23 27 to find out more.

View a presentation by Thinking Works on energy saving

Priority Services Register (help for vulnerable community members)

Your energy supplier can work with you to agree a payment plan for your energy, so contact them as soon as possible to get onto their ‘Priority Services Register’, which is a free support service to help people in vulnerable situations. Each energy supplier and network operator offer it.

Sustainable Merton's Energy Saving Handbook

This Energy Saving Handbook contains a wide range of steps you can take to reduce your energy consumption at home and save money!

Learn about everything from saving money on your water bill to advice on larger purchases like heat pumps and solar panels to ethical investing.

Winter Fuel Payment (includes Pensioner cost of living payment in winter 22-23)

If you were born on or before 5 October 1954, you could be eligible for a £100 to £300 Winter Fuel Payment

Warm Home Discount Scheme (one-off £150 payment until March 2023)

If you receive Pension Credit or are in a low income household with high energy costs, you could be eligible for £150 off your electricity bill in Winter 2022-23.

Energy Company Obligation

You might be able to get help for energy-saving improvements to your home if you claim certain benefits or live in social housing.

Energy Saving Trust

Have a look at Energy Saving Trust's Warm Home Hacks for ways to make your home more energy efficient and save money on your heating bills.

WaterHelp and WaterSure

Access help from Thames Water under these schemes if you are struggling to pay your water bills.

Merton’s Home Energy Efficiency Loan

Homeowners and residential landlords may be eligible for a low interest rate loan from Merton Council to pay for energy efficiency works, or renewable energy installations to help save money on energy bills and tackle climate change.

One You Merton

One You Merton is friendly support for Merton residents to get a healthier lifestyle. We offer one-to-one support and advice on healthy eating, physical activities, reducing alcohol and stopping smoking, in addition to free training. To find out more please email: oneyou.merton@nhs.net or call 020 8973 3545.

Warm & Well (online and in-person talks on how to stay warm and well plus info on local services)

It’s really important to put your health first this winter. Our Warm & Well in Merton program offers advice and support to help residents manage with the increasing cost of living. Look out for upcoming events.

Warm & Well in Merton is delivered in partnership with Wimbledon Guild, Age UK Merton and Thinking Works.

Merton Uplift (over 18s) mental health or wellbeing need

With cost of living pressures, it is not unusual to experience symptoms related to stress, anxiety and depression.

Merton Uplift is a mental health service accessible to anyone living in Merton or registered with a Merton GP, aged 18 years and over.

You can access support if you have a mental health or wellbeing need as a result of emotional difficulties or life stressors.

Get help finding a job, career, training or apprenticeship

If you live in Merton, there are local and national services that can help you get into work, improve your skills or find a better job.

Apprenticeships are real jobs with training so you can earn while you learn. As an apprentices you will earn a wage, work alongside experienced staff and gain job-specific skills.

Library of Things

You can borrow useful items for jobs around the house, like cleaning, DIY and gardening, so you won’t need to pay full price for something you only need once or twice. Most items can be rented for £10 or less and a 25% concession rate is available to anyone who would find it helpful. Renting items can cut down on household clutter and waste and is kinder to the environment.

NHS Better Health

Get useful food tips and over 60 healthy recipe ideas with step-by-step instructions for breakfast, lunch and dinner to suit different schedules and budgets.

The Wheel

If you’re thinking of throwing out something that can be repaired and re-used, The Wheel Merton helps residents to be more sustainable. They even run Repair Cafés where broken household items can be saved and repurposed.

Recycling clothes, textiles and small electricals 

Buying a second-hand item can help keep costs down and is better for the environment. Charity shops offer a place to find good-quality, pre-loved clothing, books, homewares, electrical items, furniture and more.

My Merton App

You can access exclusive local offers, deals and discounts through the My Merton app, as well as browse, book and buy from local businesses.

Low cost food tips and recipes

Saving or repurposing food can help to lower the cost of food shopping during the cost-of-living emergency. Check out these food tips and recipes from Merton residents.

Low-cost items in your community

You can often find low-cost, second-hand items on social media including Nextdoor’s ‘For Sale and Free’ section and Facebook Marketplace. With 1 in 4 items listed on Nextdoor as free – you can find a range of items from furniture to toys, books and more. Remember to shop safely online using this guide from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Merton Centre for Independent Living

Merton CIL offers free services and opportunities for Deaf and Disabled people living in Merton. This includes a free, AQS-accredited Information and Advice Service, providing support with:

• Welfare benefits (including benefit checks)
• Social care
• Disabled Facilities Grants
• Aids and adaptations
• Concessionary travel
• Grant applications

deafPLUS

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, deafPLUS provides information and advice on benefits, housing, debt and employment including in British Sign Language (BSL). The national deafPLUS Advice Line offers similar support in BSL using online video platforms.

Citizens Advice specialist team for disability payments

If you need specialist information on disability welfare benefits contact Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth.

You can speak to an expert Disability Adviser for benefits advice and support if you are disabled or living with long term health conditions living in Merton. These benefits include, but are not limited to, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance.

Springfield Advice and Law Centre

Springfield Advice and Law Centre is an independent charity, providing specialist advice on debt, welfare benefits, housing and community care matters.  The main Law Centre office is based at Springfield University Hospital and is open to clients, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, with priority given to those who are also patients of the South West London Mental Health NHS Trust. 

We also provide our services by outreach, on selected days, at Wilson Hospital CMHT, Mitcham Library, Morden Hall Medical Centre and at Jubilee Health Centre East in Wallington. Advice is available by both appointment and drop-in (subject to staff availability and venue). Phone our main office number on: 0208 767 6884, to find out more.

School holiday food vouchers

You could receive school holiday supermarket vouchers until the Easter holidays 2023 if your child receives Free School Meals. The funding will be available to enable schools to issue vouchers to the value of £15 per Free School Meal (FSM) child for each of the October and February half terms, and £30 for each of the Christmas 2022 and Easter holidays 2023.

Holiday activities and food clubs (primary and secondary)

Holiday activities and food (HAF) clubs run in the school holidays. The clubs offers activities and nutritious meals for Merton primary and secondary school aged children during the break. The clubs are free for children and young people who are eligible for free school meals and those referred by specialist services.

Free school meals

You may be able to get free school meals and extra funding for your child’s school through the Pupil Premium, if you receive certain benefits.

Check your eligibility and save hundreds of pounds whilst helping raise money for your child's school.

Free early education and tax-free childcare

All 3 and 4-year-old children and some 2-year-old children are entitled to 15 hours a week of free early education and childcare.

Some 3 and 4-year-olds whose parents are working may be able to get an additional 15 hours a week of free early education and childcare (called the extended entitlement or 30 hours).

Some parents who are working may also be able to get Tax-Free Childcare

For more information visit Childcare Choices or email fsd@merton.gov.uk.

The Commonside Trust (Step Forward programme)

Support is available for every aspect of family life through the Step Forward programme, which aims to support parents and carers with everything from children’s health, school and behaviour, money worries, housing difficulties, stressed family relations and everyday worries.

The Step Forward office is open daily, and the program works on an appointment basis though there is some capacity for those in crisis. For more information call 0208 764 9582 ext 203 or 204.

Wimbledon Guild one-off grants

If you are in need financial help and have no other access to money, you can apply for a one-off grant from Wimbledon Guild to help with the cost of food, electricity, household appliances or school uniforms.

Merton Growbaby (formula, wipes, nappies and toiletries) operated through Merton Foodbank

You can access items such as milk formula, wipes, nappies and toiletries as well as items such as clothes, toys, and prams, if you have children under 5 years old.

GrowBaby works with Wimbledon Foodbank. For more information call 0208 544 0126 or email mertongrowbaby@gmail.com

NHS Healthy Start scheme (healthy food and milk for families with children under 4)

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy milk, infant milk formula, and fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it to use in some UK shops. Benefit will be added onto this card every 4 weeks. For more information, call 0345 607 6823.

Home-start Merton

Home-Start Merton offers support to families from conception through to the child’s 5th birthday including:

• One-to-one home visits for families struggling with issues such as domestic abuse, mental health, lone parents, financial and poverty issues, child’s behaviour, cost-of-living support, and budgeting,
• Counselling for families being supported through Home-Start,
• Group support for families in the west and the east of the borough with warm spaces, light lunches, activities for children, clothes, baby items, toys and books as well as peer support, and
• Support with digital inclusion (Chromebooks and iPads) for parents and children.

Support is offered depending on need. Families can refer themselves or be referred by professionals.

Age UK Merton support

If you are State Pension age or older, or a family member or carer of a pensioner, you can contact Age UK Merton for advice and information about benefits, housing, transport, redundancy, pensions and retirement as well as concerns about health, relationships or isolation. For more information call 020 8648 5792 or email advice@ageukmerton.org.uk

Age UK Merton also has a range of other services for those aged 50+ in Merton.

The Commonside Trust (support for older people)

If you're an older resident, you can access services and support such as a Lunch Club, activities, and events at The Commonside Trust as well as advice on applying for benefits and housing.

Wimbledon Guild

Wimbledon Guild is a community charity in Merton offering practical help and support, so you’ll never have to face life’s challenges alone. They can help you find ways to stay independent and meet new people at one of their fun and friendly activities or you can enjoy a hot lunch in their community café.

Polish Family Association

Polish and Eastern European community members in Merton, including refugees who have recently arrived from Ukraine, can access information, advice and support.

Polish Family is also a member of the Merton Community Fridge Network, providing surplus food to residents in need. For more information call 07917 401 064 or email info@polishfamily.org.uk

Merton Ukraine Refugee Hub – Commonside Community Development Trust

If you or someone you know has recently arrived from Ukraine as a refugee, there is advice and support available at the Ukraine Refugee Hub based in the New Horizon Centre in Pollards Hill that includes everything from opening a bank account, English classes to a weekly programme of activities.