Cost of Living Support

The Cash for Kids Cost of Living Grants scheme provides small emergency grants to support children and young people who are struggling financially. They can give money to help with things like food, clothes, and heating if your family is struggling.

A teacher, support worker or another adult helping you can apply for you.

Who they help

Cash for Kids focuses on children and young people up to age 18 who:

• Are affected by poverty or the cost-of-living crisis
• May also have additional needs, illness, or difficult home circumstances

The aim is to support those who are most in need and at risk of going without basic essentials.

What support they provide

The grants are designed to cover essential items that support a child’s wellbeing, for example:

• 🍲 Food or food parcels
• 👕 Clothing and school uniform
• 🔥 Fuel or energy costs (e.g. heating vouchers)
• 🧴 Toiletries
• 🧸 Baby items and essentials
• 💙 Wellbeing packs

These items are chosen because they support children’s physical and mental wellbeing and meet basic needs

👉 The grant is typically around £50 per child per household to help with these urgent costs.

⚠️ How it works (important for families)

• Families cannot apply directly
• Instead, a professional applies on their behalf, such as:
• a school
• social worker
• health professional
• housing support worker
• charity or community organisation

This helps make sure the funding goes to young people with genuine need.

💡 What makes this support different

• It provides fast, practical help with essentials (rather than long-term benefits)
• It is often used when families are in crisis or immediate hardship
• It can act as a “lifeline” when there’s no other quick support available

Shopping for appliances

Buying your next home appliance second hand is a great way to save money and reduce the amount of usable appliances going to landfill. You can reduce packaging going to waste as new appliances come with a bin-full of packaging materials and not all of them are recyclable. But how do you ensure you’re buying good quality second hand appliances? We’ve got some top tips to help you.

If you are buying from an individual then make sure to see the item before you pay and fully test that it works before you take it home with you.

Having the model or serial number of the appliance so you can get spare parts if you need to and to download the manual for appliances off the internet in case you need to.

Don’t be put off by dirt or cosmetic marks and damage as this isn’t detrimental to how well the appliance will work.

Where possible see if you can test that the appliance works e.g. a kettle or microwave can be plugged in and you can check the settings. This isn’t possible with every appliance and in particular larger appliances, so if buying from a shop or organisation, check with their guarantee or returns policy.

Ensure that the wires are intact, no fraying or damage to them. This is because frayed wires can cause fires or give you an electric shock.

Where to find second hand bargains

Some brands that sell refurbished appliances include Dualit, Ninja, and Vitamix. And you can sometimes find kitchenware and cookware on Ikea re-shop and re-use.

As well as physical shops, some charity shops have dedicated online selling platforms, such as ebay shops. Second hand appliances in charity shops, or sold via their online platforms have to be PAT tested before being sold, so you have the peace of mind of knowing that the item you’re buying is safe.

But unlike professionally refurbished appliances, appliances sold by charity shops are pretty much sold in the condition in which they were donated, and don’t come with a warranty. The plus side is that they’re often very cheap, the downside is that there could be missing parts or the appliance may no longer be performing as originally intended.

Reuse Network - is a national network of reuse centres who stock high-quality, affordable household items. Many centres will still charge for items but at a significantly cheaper rate than retail. People on benefits get a discount of 30% on items they buy.

Online marketplaces

Websites like ebay, Gumtree, Facebook marketplace and Vinted, are all excellent places to source good quality second hand appliances. Many people sell high quality appliances for reasons such as moving house, or unwanted gifts, so there are bargains to be had.

Always follow the safety rules set out by the website to ensure you stay protected. If possible, meet the seller in person and inspect the item before handing over any cash. If the item is being posted, paying through sites such as PayPal can offer additional protection.

Grants

There are a number of charities which give grants to young people who are struggling financially. Search for grants.