Free public resource. No signup, nothing to buy.
UK Cost of Living Toolkit
A budget worksheet, a bills checklist, and every help scheme worth checking in 2026. Most households qualify for at least one thing on this page without knowing it.
Last checked against official sources: 22 July 2026
Where does the money actually go?
Ten minutes with your last three bank statements answers this better than any app. Rough numbers are fine to start.
Monthly spending
Fill in what you can. Rough figures are fine, and you can check your last three bank statements for the true numbers.
Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere.
The bills checklist
Typical figures for mid-2026 so you can spot the bill that is out of line, and the standard way to cut each one.
| Bill | Typical cost | How to cut it |
|---|---|---|
| Council tax (Band D, varies widely by council) | £150 to £200 a month | 25% single-person discount; Council Tax Reduction if on a low income |
| Gas and electricity (medium use home) | £120 to £160 a month | Check the current Ofgem price cap; £150 Warm Home Discount if eligible |
| Water and sewerage | around £50 a month | Social tariff or WaterSure cap through your water company |
| Broadband | £25 to £35 a month | Social tariffs from £12.50 a month on qualifying benefits |
| Mobile (SIM only) | £7 to £15 a month | Social tariffs and 30-day SIM deals; haggle at contract end |
| TV licence | about £15 a month | Free if 75+ and on Pension Credit; 50% blind concession |
Energy figures move with the quarterly price cap: check the current cap at ofgem.gov.uk.
Help you might be missing
Every scheme below is official and free to apply for. Current as of 22 July 2026, and each links to the source so you can check the latest rules.
Crisis and Resilience Fund
Who it is for: Anyone facing a financial shock: help with food, energy, housing costs and essentials
Apply through your local council. This fund replaced the Household Support Fund in April 2026 and runs to March 2029.
gov.uk cost of living helpWarm Home Discount: £150 off electricity
Who it is for: Households on qualifying benefits (including Pension Credit and many on Universal Credit)
Applied automatically to your electricity bill between October and March if you qualify on the August qualifying date. Nothing to claim for most people.
gov.uk Warm Home DiscountWinter Fuel Payment: £100 to £300
Who it is for: Households with someone born before 23 September 1958
The eligibility rules have changed more than once recently, so check the current position on gov.uk rather than relying on last year's rules.
gov.uk Winter Fuel PaymentCold Weather Payment: £25 per freezing week
Who it is for: People on qualifying benefits in England and Wales when the local temperature averages 0°C or below for 7 days (November to March). Scotland pays an annual Winter Heating Payment instead.
Paid automatically. Nothing to claim.
gov.uk Cold Weather PaymentCouncil tax discounts
Who it is for: Live alone? That is 25% off. On a low income? Council Tax Reduction can cut the bill further, sometimes to zero.
Apply through your council. It is also worth checking your band: some homes have been in the wrong band since 1991, though be aware a challenge can move a band up as well as down.
gov.uk council tax discountsBroadband and mobile social tariffs
Who it is for: Households on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other qualifying benefits
From £12.50 a month for broadband. Apply direct with the provider. Ofcom keeps a current list of every tariff.
Ofcom social tariff listWater social tariffs and WaterSure
Who it is for: Low-income households; WaterSure caps metered bills for those on benefits with high essential use (large families, medical conditions)
Every water company in England and Wales runs a scheme. Ask yours directly, and join their Priority Services Register while you are at it (free extra support if you are older, disabled or have young children).
CCW help with water billsEnergy efficiency grants
Who it is for: Free insulation and heating upgrades under ECO4 (runs to 31 December 2026), including for many households NOT on benefits via councils' LA Flex rules; £7,500 heat pump grants under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Start with the government eligibility checker, and see our detailed guides on what each grant covers.
gov.uk ECO eligibilityHealthy Start
Who it is for: Pregnant women and families with children under 4 on qualifying benefits
A prepaid card for fruit, vegetables, milk and formula, plus free vitamins. Widely underclaimed.
NHS Healthy StartA full benefits check: 10 minutes, often worth thousands
Who it is for: Everyone. Billions in benefits go unclaimed in the UK every year, and Pension Credit alone is missed by hundreds of thousands of eligible pensioners.
Use a free, anonymous calculator. If you only do one thing on this page, do this.
gov.uk benefits calculatorsIf the numbers do not add up
Free, confidential debt advice exists and it works. Never pay a company for debt advice: the paid firms offer nothing the free charities do not, and the government's Breathing Space scheme can freeze interest and enforcement for 60 days while you get help.
StepChange
Full debt advice and managed plans
National Debtline
Free advice by phone and webchat
Citizens Advice
Debt, benefits and housing help, in person too
For guidance on everything else money-related, the government-backed MoneyHelper is the best starting point, and Turn2us runs a search of charitable grants you may never have heard of.
For councils, universities, libraries and advice services
You are welcome to link to this page from resident and student money pages. It is free, carries no signup or commercial content, and we check the schemes against official sources quarterly. If you spot anything out of date, tell us and we will fix it within a week.
UK Cost of Living Toolkit, Less.co.uk: https://less.co.uk/tools/cost-of-living-toolkit
Common questions
What help is available with the cost of living in 2026?
The main routes in 2026 are: the Crisis and Resilience Fund (emergency help with food, energy and essentials, applied for through your local council, it replaced the Household Support Fund in April 2026), the £150 Warm Home Discount on electricity bills, Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners, council tax discounts and Council Tax Reduction, social tariffs that cut broadband to £12.50 a month and cap water bills, energy efficiency grants such as ECO4, and free debt advice services. Most people qualify for at least one of these without realising.
Do I qualify for a broadband or water social tariff?
Broadband and mobile social tariffs are usually open to households receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, ESA, JSA or PIP, with prices from £12.50 a month. Every water company in England and Wales runs a social tariff for low-income households, and WaterSure caps metered bills for households on benefits that use a lot of water for essential reasons. Apply directly to your provider, and switching to a social tariff involves no exit fee mid-contract with most providers.
Is this toolkit really free?
Yes. There is no signup, no email capture and nothing to buy on this page. Nothing you type into the budget worksheet is saved or sent anywhere. Less.co.uk makes its money elsewhere on the site from home improvement quote referrals, which are clearly labelled where they appear. This page carries none of that and exists as a public resource.