Get help and advice
You can find information about where to get free information, advice and guidance on welfare support, debt, employment, and housing matters plus help with food (such as local foodbanks) using the links below.
To understand what help is available, and who to contact, in your area, visit:
Support in the Coalfields area
Support in the Washington area
What to expect when you visit an advice provider
When you visit any of our local advice providers, they'll ask you a few simple questions to find out what kind of help you need. This could be debt advice, budgeting help, support with managing persistent debt, or help to deal with the rising cost of living. They'll ask for details of your income, your monthly outgoings and your debts and use this information to recommend the best course of action for your circumstances, and help you start to take control of your finances.
The Bread and Butter Thing
The Bread and Butter Thing offers weekly groceries at a fraction of high street prices. Their mobile food clubs help people to save money on their food shopping while also preventing food from going to landfill. For £8.50 you'll get roughly £35 worth of food each week, including fresh fruit and veg, chilled food for the fridge, and cupboard staples such as pasta and cereal. There are also options for smaller households and larger families, and you can use your Healthy Start vouchers.
There are 6 The Bread and Butter Thing hubs across Sunderland. Find your nearest one and sign up here.
Free School Meals and Healthy Start
For information on free school meals and Healthy Start Vouchers, click on the links below:
Free School Meals - Together for Children
The Money Adviser Network
If you prefer to speak to someone about debt issues by phone or online, the Money Adviser Network can help. The Money Adviser Network brings together some of the country's best known debt advice providers so you can access free, confidential and independent debt advice straight away. You won't need to pay for the advice you receive, and speaking to them won't affect your credit rating. For further information and self referral, visit the Money Adviser Network page.
Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service
People facing eviction or repossession in England and Wales can now receive expert legal advice free of charge, helping them to keep their homes and avoid lengthy, costly court proceedings. Find out more on the government's Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service page.
You can find your nearest Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service provider by typing in your postcode and ticking the box 'Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service' at: https://find-legal-advice.justice.gov.uk/
Additional Government Support with Cost-of-Living Pressures
To find out more, visit the government's Cost of Living Support Payments page.
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