General Cost of Living Support

Adult social care needs (incl. older people, vulnerable adults, and their carers)

• Care Direct – Adult social care needs and information and help for older people, vulnerable adults, and their carers. Call on 03451551007 or email csc.caredirect@devon.gov.uk. This service is available every day. (Social Services Out of hours emergencies: 0345 600 0388)
• Unpaid carer advice/support – Devon carers are part of the nationally recognised carers passport scheme, which is available free of charge to unpaid adult carers of adults in the Devon County Council area. All the information you need about you and your role, in one place. Register with Devon Carers to get your Carers Passport now.
• Grants for Older People on Low Incomes (England & Wales) of up to £500 are available to support vulnerable older people living on low incomes in England and Wales. The funding which is being made available through the charity Friends of the Elderly assists individuals and couples who are of or over the state pension age, have savings of less than £5,000, and do not meet the criteria for other funders. The funding aims to assist with various needs such as purchasing a new fridge, paying unexpected bills, obtaining food and clothing, or covering gas and electricity costs. To apply for these grants, individuals must submit their applications through a third-party Referral Agent. Acceptable Referral Agents include charities, local authorities, housing associations, community organisations, Information, Advice and Guidance providers, as well as social services representatives. Applications can be submitted at any time.

Devon County Council is working with local partners, including local councils, the NHS and the voluntary and community sector, on ways to support communities. These include: 

Household Support Fund – This fund is to support households that are struggling to pay for food, energy, water bills and other related essentials; especially those who may not be eligible for other Government support. 

Free School Meals and Free school meals holiday voucher scheme  – All children up to year two at state schools in England automatically get free school meals. From year 3 onwards, you may continue to qualify. You can check eligibility and apply on our Free School Meals  page. Additionally, families in Devon on low incomes, whose children receive free school meals, also receive school meals holiday vouchers which are funded by the Household Support Fund.  To see if your child is eligible for free school meals, or to apply, please visit our website or call our Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019 

Growing Communities Fund  – Devon County Council can award grants of £500 – £3,000 to groups or projects that: 

• Address hardship such as food or fuel insecurity, offering warm safe spaces, something to eat and drink, and a place to work, learn or socialise.  
• Building community resilience – e.g., guidance on budgeting, cooking low-cost nutritional meals.  
• Tackling loneliness and isolation 

Locality Budget – An annual budget for each elected member to respond to local community issues, such as but not limited to hardship and poverty, loneliness, and isolation in their Division 

Citizens Advice Devon – Devon County Council continues to provide funding to Citizens Advice Devon to provide independent and impartial support and advice. 

2023 Holiday (Food) and Activity programme  – This programme supports children to eat more healthily, be more active over the school holidays and have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition as well as be more engaged with school and other local services. 

The Summer Programme for 2023 Holiday Activities & Food  Programme is for Primary & Secondary age range and is split into localities so you can see what is happening in each area.  There are exciting opportunities for the primary & secondary age range including, surfing, paddleboarding, canoeing, sports, laser tag and many more.  

HAF Summer Secondary 2023 

HAF Summer Primary 2023 

It is for families on benefit related free school meals and is free to the family all spaces are fully funded and include a hot nutritious meal.   All eligible families will be sent a code via their school tomorrow any problems they can email the mailbox. 

15% of the places can be used for vulnerable children and this includes the following, 

• children assessed by the local authority as being in need, at risk or vulnerable (for example, children on a Child Protection Plan, Children in Need or on an Early Help plan) 
• young carers 
• looked-after children or previously looked after children 
• children with an EHC (education, health and care) plan 
• children who have low attendance rates at school or who are at risk of exclusion 
• children living in areas of high deprivation or from low-income households who are not in receipt of free school meals 
• children in transition phases between nursery and primary school or primary and secondary school 

DCC would like as many children as possible to access a place during the holidays , all the information is on the website  Information for professionals – Education and Families (devon.gov.uk) 

If you have any questions please get back to the mailbox haf@devon.gov.uk,  parents tell us it helps relieve stress in the holidays and takes some of the pressure off them financially knowing their children are fed and accessing activities they can’t normally afford. 

A lot of the providers are offering trips and meal out to local attractions as well, family swimming lessons cinema tickets but children must attend a face-to-face HAF session to access the enhanced offers. 

Libraries for Life – Libraries across Devon and Torbay are providing warm welcoming spaces, where people can use the free Wi-Fi and computers if they wish to access any of the available online support. Some libraries also have community fridge projects, that make surplus food from local supermarkets available to all for free. Contact your local library for details. 

For more information

• visit their cost of  living webpages.
• Phone: 0345 155 1015 (General enquiries)
• Email: customer@devon.gov.uk

You can access the Food and Fuel Insecurity Survey on Public Health Devon’s website.

Devon Mental Health Alliance/Encompass Southwest – Free advice and guidance to anyone in Devon facing challenges around cost of living pressures

• Cost of Living Signposting & Support Service  The service has a focus on connecting people with organisations in their community which are best placed to provide ongoing help. 
  • To access this 24hrs service call 020 3467 7509.
  • Alternatively, email communityadvice@encompass-sw.org.uk (if emailing, please include your name, address, phone number, and reason for getting in touch)