Cost of living support available for Knowsley
This information is only correct on the day written. Before travelling to a service, please contact the organisation to ensure that you have up-to-date information.
HELP WITH FOOD
Food is available to Knowsley residents through:
Knowsley Foodbank – either by obtaining a referral voucher from a partner (including GPs or Citizens Advice), or by calling the Knowsley Food Support line on 0151 538 8243. Contact the Foodbank on 0151 673 1250.
| Location |
Address |
Opening times |
| St George’s Church, Huyton |
46 Primrose Drive
Huyton,
Liverpool.
L36 8DW |
|
| Kirkby Community Shop |
9 Market Square,
L32 8RG |
|
| Stockbridge Community Hub |
The Croft
Stockbridge Village,
Liverpool.
L28 1NR |
|
| Salvation Army Prescot |
Salvation Army Prescot,
Warrington Rd,
Prescot,
L35 2UA |
|
| St Dominic’s Church, Huyton |
St Dominic’s Church,
Southdene Road,
Huyton,
Liverpool
L14 8UL |
|
| St Mary’s Church, Halewood |
Leathers Lane,
Halewood,
Liverpool
L26 9TS |
|
| St Andrew’s Church, Kirkby |
St Andrews View,
Highfield,
Towerhill,
Liverpool
L33 1ZF |
|
Our Place Youth Foodbank – If you’re under 30 and struggling you can access Knowsley’s first Young Persons foodbank on Wednesdays, 11am-2pm at MYA Our Place, Longview Drive, Huyton, L36 6EG
Food is also available through our network of community partners.
Halewood – Torrington Drive Community Association (0151 443 2168), St Nicholas and St Marys Church (0151 487 9965)
Huyton – Swanside Community Centre (0151 489 2370), Incredible Edibles (07925529585), Homestart (0151 480 3910), HIYA (0151 449 3688), L14 Community House (07734750295)
Kirkby – Southdene Community Centre (0151 289 0419), Centre 63 (0151 549 1494), Kirkby Foodbank (Northwood Chapel) (0151 292 3846)
Stockbridge – Stockbridge Tenants Forum (0300 123 5522), Flourish and Succeed (07850 338103)
Prescot – FOESP (Friends of Eaton Street Park) (07526603529), Prescot Community Church (07967012042)
Whiston – Friends of Halsnead Allotments and Food Initiative Group (07866582582)
Residents in need can access any of these services. Many of our community partners also run a social supermarket, or food club which offers food and essentials to residents at reduced prices, helping to keep the cost of the weekly shop down. Where residents are struggling to afford to use these options, these partners can provide food for free.
Please ensure you visit our website to check on opening hours as some groups will not be open every day. In cases of emergency food support being needed our partners will try to help outside of these opening times.
Healthy Start Vouchers
You may be able to claim vouchers to help with your food costs if you are pregnant or have a child under 4 years old, and you are on a low income. You could get help to buy, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and infant formula. You could also get free Healthy Start vitamins. To check if you are eligible, scan the QR code below, using the camera on your phone. You must register online.
HELP WITH ENERGY COSTS
Prepayment meter help
The council’s Emergency Support Scheme has been extended to offer support to all residents who are struggling to top up their prepayment meter, regardless of benefit status. Applications can be made online or if this isn’t possible, by calling the council’s Contact Centre on 0151 443 3200 where an advisor will complete the online application on your behalf.
As part of the council’s work with the Fuel Bank Foundation, some local organisations can also issue residents with fuel vouchers for prepayment meters. All of these Fuel Bank partners offer residents tailored support with their finances and a voucher may be issued as part of this. Fuel vouchers will only be issued once eligibility and need have been determined, as part of a package of support. They are available from:
Halewood
Torrington Drive Community Association, Lichfield Road, Halewood, L26 1TE, 0151 443 2168
Huyton
Homestart, 55 Rupert Road, Huyton, L36 9TB, 0151 480 3910
Enterprise Credit Union, Hall Lane, L36 6AX, 0151 482 0177
HIYA, Hillside Neighbourhood Centre, Hillside Avenue, L36 8DS, 0151 449 3688
Kirkby
Centre 63, Old Hall Lane, Kirkby, L32 5TH, 0151 549 1494
Prescot
Prescot Advice Centre, Prescot Shopping Centre, Aspinall Street, L34 5GA, 0151 443 4639
Borough-wide sites – Knowsley Foodbank (0151 538 8243), Care Merseyside, Citizens Advice Knowsley (0808 278 7839), Flourish and Succeed (0151 245 6111)
Help with energy credit meter costs – for people who pay monthly/quarterly or following a bill
People with credit meters may build large debts with their energy supplier if they are unable to keep up with payments. To support these residents, the council is working with Citizens Advice Knowsley to provide support with their gas or electricity supplier. To find out more, email Citizens Advice Knowsley on advice@citizensadviceknowsley.org.uk or call 0808 278 7839 (see below for full addresses).
Help with making your energy bills cheaper
Citizens Advice can also help with making your home more energy efficient. Use the details above to speak to an advisor. You may need to make an appointment to go through your needs in more detail.
Priority Services Register
You can join this register if you:-
- Are state pension age
- Are disabled or have long-term medical condition
- Are recovering from an injury
- Have a hearing or sight condition
- Have a mental health condition
- Are pregnant of have young children
- Have extra communication needs
- Need to use medical equipment that requires a power supply
- Have poor or no sense of smell
- Would struggle to answer the door or get help in an emergency
Being on this register means you get priority treatment from your energy supplier and gas/electricity network operator if there is a problem such as a power cut or a gas leak.
To join the register you need to contact you energy supplier(s). They will add you to the network operator list (eg Cadent). You will need to contact United Utilities for the water register separately.
WARM HUBS AT KNOWSLEY LIBRARIES
All libraries are open from 10am until 5pm Monday to Friday and from 10am until 1pm on Saturday. They are located at:
| Library |
Address |
Phone |
Email |
| Halewood Library |
Roseheath Drive, Halewood, L26 9UH |
0151 443 2086 |
yourlibrary@knowsley.gov.uk
|
| Huyton Library |
Civic Way, Huyton, L36 9GD |
0151 443 3734 |
yourlibrary@knowsley.gov.uk
|
| Kirkby Library |
Norwich Way, Kirkby, L32 8XY |
0151 443 4289 |
yourlibrary@knowsley.gov.uk
|
| Prescot Library |
The Prescot Centre, Aspinall Street, Prescot, L34 5GA |
0151 443 5101 |
yourlibrary@knowsley.gov.uk
|
| Stockbridge Library |
The Withens, Stockbridge Village, L28 1AB. |
0151 443 2501 |
yourlibrary@knowsley.gov.uk
|
All of the borough’s libraries provide free access to computers and WiFi, so as well as using the library as a Warm Hub, you can use the computers to find out the latest cost of living help and support that is available as well as comparing prices for your energy and phone tariffs etc. You can either book an appointment or walk up to use a computer if any are available. For more information about this service please contact the library.
Lots of other warm spaces are available across the borough in community centres and other venues. Check on VCFSE Winter Support offer 2023/24 – One Knowsley or the Knowsley News article at the beginning of this document for more information.
HOUSING SUPPORT
Knowsley Housing Solutions Service offers a free and confidential service. The specially trained team can help with all sorts of housing support related problems. Together you can look at your situation and decide on the best way to help you tackle your problems.
They can help with:-
- Homelessness prevention
- Benefit entitlement
- Alternative accommodation
- Working with your landlord and helping with issues
- Supported housing schemes
- Finding secure private rented accommodation
- Giving useful advice on debt, mortgage and rent arrears, disrepair, overcrowding, under-occupancy, domestic abuse
- Providing funding for bedding or goods from charities
If you are being evicted due to rent arrears they may be able to negotiate a repayment plan with your landlord or pay off some of your arrears.
Knowsley Housing Solutions team can be contacted on 0151 443 2333.
Sleeping rough
If you’re sleeping rough, or know someone who is sleeping rough, you can contact the Housing Solutions team for help – call 0151 443 2333.
Severe weather accommodation
Severe weather emergency provision must be provided when the weather is forecast to be below 0 degrees for 1 night. At this point, emergency shelter is provided by the Council, this means extra provision is made for rough sleepers regardless of their status.
Breathing Space is a scheme that can help tenants with rent arrears. It pauses the eviction process for up to 60 days while you get debt advice. For more information, call the National Debtline on 0808 808 4000. You can also contact your local Citizens Advice (details above).
Housing condition training
The Council’s Environmental Health team are offering training for everyone on housing condition, what to look for, how to report poor conditions and what Environmental Health can do with landlords who do not comply.
For more information on the training, or to report poor housing conditions email environmentalhealth@knowsley.gov.uk or call 0151 443 4712.
Crisis mental health support
Adults
If you are in mental health crisis and no longer feel able to cope or be in control of your situation and need urgent help, you can call the NHS Mental Health crisis line. NHS staff will then support you to get the help you need. Available 24/7 for people aged 18+. Call freephone 0800 051 1508.
Children and young people mental health crisis support
Available 24/7, for children and young people up to the age of 18 experiencing a crisis needing an emergency response. (registered with a GP in Knowsley, Halton, St Helens or Warrington)
Contact us on 01744 415640
Mental health and wellbeing support
Shout offers confidential 24/7 text messaging support for times when you need immediate support. The service is staffed by trained volunteers who will work with you to take your next steps towards feeling better. They can help with issues such as stress, anxiety and depression and are able to talk via text at any time of day or night. Simply text the word “REACH” to 85258 for immediate support. Visit the website
The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 – free from any phone, 24 hours a day.
Talking Therapies – free NHS therapy for people with common mental health problems such as anxiety or depression, to help you change the way you feel by changing the way you think. Online therapy available 24/7, with weekly online support from your therapist. Six-week course also available to help you to develop skills to manage your mood. Visit www.merseycare.nhs.uk and search talking therapies.
For those aged 55 and over, the Silver Line is a helpline which provides friendship, conversation and support. It is free to call on 0800 4 70 80 90 from a mobile or landline, and operates 24 hours a day.
Stay Alive app is a pocket-sized suicide prevention resource which provides accessible support including a safety plan with the opportunity to upload images or videos that remind people of the reasons to stay alive. The app is designed to help both those who are having suicidal thoughts and those who are concerned about someone else and is available for free on both iOS and Android devices.
AMPARO provides support for anyone affected by suicide. Find out more by calling 0330 088 9255 or visit the website
Support for younger people
Parents and carers who are concerned about their child’s mental health (up to the age of 25) can get advice from the Young Minds confidential helpline – call free on 0808 802 5544. Lines are open 9.30am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday. You can also access webchat and email advice via the website visit www.youngminds.org.uk
Kooth provides online support and counselling, information, advice and support for young people in secondary schools. Find out more on Kooth’s website.
Papyrus is for children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, or anyone concerned about a young person. Find out more by calling 0800 068 41 41.
Help For Households
The government has set up a Help for Households website which provides information about cost-of-living payments and energy bills. Google ‘Help for Households’.
