Useful support for staff and patients

decorative image of family We recognise that both staff, patients and carers are facing huge pressures around the cost of living. We have put together some information that we hope might help support you. This page provides a range of widely-available financial and wellbeing support and ideas to help you make your money go further and to help you keep well.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust does not promote or endorse the use of the organisations, companies and resources mentioned and may amend or update this information at any time. It is designed to highlight a range of support available.

Deals and discounts

decorative image Blue Light Card: provides a range of discounts online and in store for NHS, emergency services, social care sector and armed forces colleagues who purchase a Blue Light Card.

Asda: Asda is offering 10% discount in store for Blue Light card holders.

Health Service Discounts: offers discounts, vouchers and cashback for NHS and healthcare workers. You can join for free on their website.

Gov.uk: Various discounts and offers are available from businesses as part of the Government’s Help for Households campaign.

Groceries

decorative image Healthy Start is a scheme run by the government. If you are pregnant or have a child under four years old and are in receipt of benefits, then you could be entitled to vouchers for certain healthy foods, milk and vitamins to help keep you and your family well-fed.

Asda: the Asda Rewards app enables customers to build up a ‘cashpot’ to spend in Asda stores or online.

Lidl: the Lidl Plus app gives shoppers access to weekly discount coupons, exclusive discounts and prizes, including 30% off in store bakery items on Monday to Saturday (excluding bank holidays) from 7pm until closing time.

Morrisons: the My Morrisons app provides personalised offers on items you buy frequently. NHS colleagues can also join the NHS Club via the app for access to exclusive offers.

Sainsbury’s: the Nectar scheme enables shoppers to earn one Nectar point for every £1 qualifying spend in store, online or on fuel.

Tesco: Tesco Clubcard members can collect one point for every £1 spent in store and online, and one point for every £2 spent on fuel.

Waitrose: the My Waitrose scheme provides members with freebies and personalised offers.

Local food banks and food hubs

decorative image Cambridge City Foodbank | Helping Local People in Crisis 

Cambridge City Foodbank - The Trussell Trust 

Foodbanks and food hubs - South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk) 

Food Banks in rural Cambs – Huntingdonshire, Fenland and East Cambs (citizensadviceruralcambs.org.uk) 

Hunts Food Network

Peterborough Foodbank 

Food Aid - How Are You Peterborough (haypeterborough.co.uk) 

Community fridges: A Community Fridge can be accessed by anyone locally who wants to share food, volunteer or get involved with some of the other amazing activities the group have to offer. Community fridges are currently in Edge Café, Cambridge; Witchford Recycling Centre; Yaxley Community Hall; Paston Farm Centre, Peterborough; and Westwood in Peterborough.

Kids Eat Free: MoneySavingCentral has put together a list of restaurants and cafes where children eat free during the school holidays.

Free school meals information for Cambridgeshire.

Grants and financial support for health and social care staff

decorative image Healthcare Workers’ Foundation: Provides grants of up to £1,000 to healthcare workers who need help with their finances. More information about the grants available can be found on its financial support page.

The Care Workers’ Charity: Supports care workers in the UK with one-off grants, including the Crisis Grant and Funeral Grants.

Turn2us: A national charity that provides practical help to people who are struggling financially. You can search for grants on its website.

Social Workers’ Benevolent Trust: Offers financial help to social workers and their dependants in times of hardship. Details about the grants available and how to apply can be found on their website.

Cavell Nurses’ Trust: The charity helps registered nurses, midwives, nursing associates, maternity support workers and healthcare assistants, both working and retired, who are experiencing personal or financial hardship. You can find out if you are eligible for financial help on their website.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute: Provides financial support for nurses.

CPFT Employee Benefits handbook: CPFT staff can access our benefits handbook (available on the intranet), which gives details about reduced-cost lease cars and white goods, finance and housing advice, flexible working, and wellbeing support.

Money help

If you are worried about money, please use this guide to help you. The sooner you take action the better and we can help you to work through all these suggested actions.

Step 1 – Check your entitlements

Complete a benefits check. Benefits Calculator - entitledto - independent | accurate | reliable

This tells you if there is more money help with your everyday living and housing costs, such as:

  • Universal Credit
  • Disability and Carers benefits
  • Pension credit
  • Help with childcare costs

Always seek specialist help when applying for a carer/ disability / health related benefit.

Other help you can apply for:

  • Warm Home Discount – this discount is made direct to your electricity bill for households on a low income. Contact your supplier to find out if they offer and the qualifying criteria and when to apply.   Warm Home Discount Scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

Other essential help 

Step 2 – Make a budget

Step 3 – Save money on everyday costs

Energy (Gas and Electric)

  • Check with your supplier if you’re getting the best deal – at the moment with high energy prices a fixed deal may not suit you but ask your energy supplier for advice
  • Take meter readings regularly to see how much you are using and consider a smart meter
  • If you are on prepayment meter, try and top up regularly all year
  • If you are older, have young children and /or a health condition or disability ask to go onto the priority services register with your supplier
  • Energy saving tips here https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/hub/quick-tips-to-save-energy/

Water


Phone / Internet / TV packages

  • BT, Talk Talk, Hyperoptic, VirginMedia and KCOM offer discounted rates for households on relevant benefits. More information here Cheaper broadband and phone packages - Ofcom
  • Use a comparison site to check that you are on the best deal available. Review your subscriptions and ensure that you are only paying for what you need
  • TV Licence: If you watch or record live TV or use BBC iPlayer without a licence, you may be prosecuted and fined up to £1000. TV Licence - TV Licensing ™

Step 4 – Take action on debt

  • Contact a debt advice agency if you have bills or borrowing that you cannot afford, get free, independent debt advice from a regulated service. A debt advisor can help you get some breathing space to manage your situation better and work out the best way forward.

Step 5 – useful websites

General finances

decorative image Cambridgeshire

https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/communities-localism/support-with-the-cost-of-living 

Fenland

Cost of living support in Fenland - Fenland District Council

Peterborough

https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/campaigns/support-with-the-cost-of-living 

Household Support Fund - Peterborough City Council 

Huntingdon

https://www.huntsmoneyadvice.co.uk/

https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/benefits/council-tax-support/

https://www.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/benefits/housing-benefit/

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Cambridge Citizens’ Advice Bureau: Is offering cost of living support pop-ups throughout November (hopefully this will be continued) - these are drop-in sessions and free refreshments are available. They are also encouraging people with a household income under £30k to do a benefits check to see if there is any other financial support for them available. 

Cambridgeshire Local Assistance Scheme: If you live in Cambridgeshire the scheme provides information, advice and one-off practical support and assistance in times of exceptional pressure (subject to eligibility). 

Cambridge Solidarity Fund: A solidarity fund for the CB1-CB5 area, redistributing income in the most unequal city in the UK. No-strings-attached grants for those in financial hardship. You can apply for £50, every other month – for anything. The money can be used pay rent/buy food, or any reason – you do not need to provide a reason at point of application.

MoneyHelper’s website provides information on a range of topics, such as benefits, money troubles, savings and pensions. They also offer a free Couch to Financial Fitness programme. You can contact them for free, impartial advice via the NHS telephone support line on 0800 448 0826 or using the details on their contact us page.

Citizens’ Advice: Offers free, confidential advice on various matters such as benefits, work, housing, debt and money. Their website has a page dedicated to help with the cost of living and provides various ways to contact them for advice.

Government cost of living support: The government’s Help for households campaign and cost of living support page provide

Cost of Living Payment: The Department for Work and Pensions provides guidance on getting a Cost of Living Payment if you’re entitled to certain benefits or tax credits.

Money Saving Expert: Provides a range of financial advice, with a dedicated cost-of-living help section. Its Cost of living help guide provides more than 90 ways you can save money.

Debt Advice Foundation: offers free, confidential support and advice to anyone worried about loans, credit and debt. Contact details are available on its website.

Warm hubs

decorative image Warm Hubs bring a new community-led approach in tackling poverty and social isolation. People can come along to the Warm Hubs on their own, or with a friend, and talk to others over a hot drink, or maybe a hot meal.

South Cambs: https://www.scambs.gov.uk/community-safety-and-health/warm-hubs/

Haddenham, Soham, Little Thetford: https://www.eastcambs.gov.uk/content/warm-hubs

Cambridge City: From November to March, the city council will be opening its  community centres as warm and welcoming places for local people to access community events, quiet spaces and meals. Check your local centre to find out what’s happening in your neighbourhood.

Fenland: Cold Weather - Fenland District Council

Huntingdon: Huntingdonshire District Council wants to support the community to create a network of Warm Spaces, a group of safe and accessible places where people can come together to stay warm. Find out more about warm spaces inHuntingdonshire here .

Childcare

decorative image Cambridgeshire County Council childcare entitlement

Help for households: the government’s Help for households campaign offers various forms of financial support for eligible individuals, including help with childcare costs.

Childcare Choices: provides information on government help with childcare costs for parents.

Healthcare Workers’ Foundation: the charity provides financial support for childcare related costs through grants of up to a total of £1,000 annually. Its childcare grants page provides more information.

Staff wellbeing

decorative image Staff Wellbeing Service (for CPFT staff): The service provides one-to-one support for staff and also group support (courses and webinars)

Staff Mental Health Service: Provides rapid access to mental health assessment, diagnosis and treatment for staff working in local NHS Trusts, delivering multidisciplinary mental health support.

NHS England support: there is a range of support available for our NHS people, such as a 24/7 confidential text support service available to NHS colleagues who are feeling worried or overwhelmed or need someone to talk to, accessible by texting FRONTLINE to 8525. There are also wellbeing apps that NHS staff have been given free access for a given time.

General wellbeing

decorative image NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies: This service for both staff and members of the public in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough provides help to people aged 17 and over who are experiencing common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety disorders, including: generalised anxiety disorder (GAD); social anxiety; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); health anxiety; panic; phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

First Response Service : The First Response Service supports people experiencing a mental health crisis. It provides 24-hour, seven days a week, 365 days a year access to mental health care, advice and support. By calling 111, and selecting the mental health option, you will be put through to a member of FRS who will speak to you and discuss your current mental health needs. Support may involve telephone support or a face-to-face assessment and, if appropriate, referrals on to other CPFT services.

NHS Every Mind Matters: Better Health – Every Mind Matters provides expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.

Samaritans: Provide a non-judgemental listening ear for those who need someone to talk to. Their website provides contact details.

Keep Your Head: Brings together reliable information on mental health and wellbeing for children, young people, adults, professionals, and schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

How Are You Cambridgeshire and Peterborough: Brings together everything in the local community that is good for wellbeing.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service: Teams are made up of a variety of NHS staff with specific training and qualifications to support the emotional health needs of children, young people and families in the community.

Centre 33: Supports young people up to the age of 25 with mental health, caring responsibilities, housing, sexual health and more.

Rethink: Improving the lives of people severely affected by mental illness through its network of local groups and services, expert information and successful campaigning.

Mind CPSL (Cambs, Peterborough, South Lincs): Mind CPSL is a highly collaborative organisation, providing a range of strengths-based services and projects to support recovery from mental health conditions and promote positive mental health across our diverse communities.

Pictured is a staff member with a headset answering a telephone call

As a patient, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support. 

Patient Advice and Liaison service  Contact the Trust