I need some support

Housing, Benefits and Council Tax – Exeter City Council

Customer Support is Exeter City Council’s first point of contact for those needing assistance with housing, benefits and council tax enquiries The team can also offer advice on accessing a range of discretionary funds, including the Exeter Wellbeing Support Fund for those whose finances have been affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic. The majority of services can be accessed by visiting www.exeter.gov.uk

Our Support Services include;

• Housing Benefit & Council Tax Support,
• Council Tax Billing & Recovery,
• Devon Home Choice,
• Covid-19 Wellbeing Line,
• Discretionary funds including Exeter Wellbeing Support Fund & Discretionary Housing Payments.

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Citizens Advice

Exeter Citizens Advice aims to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and to improve the policies and practises that affect people’s lives. We provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. We value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.

We offer a range of advice and information services; including help with

• welfare benefits,
• Universal Credit,
• debt and money,
• employment, and
• housing

Please visit www.citizensadviceexeter.org.uk or call 0344 411 1444

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Co-Lab Exeter

The Co-Lab is located in central Exeter and is home to a number of different organisations that can help people in a range of situations.

As an integrated cross sector wellbeing and innovation hub our goal is to improve lives by improving the context in which support for change occurs, as well as delivering meaningful and relevant services. Supporting people with complex life situations and multiple disadvantages, such as mental ill-health, homelessness, domestic and sexual violence and abuse, substance misuse, (re)offending and poverty we focus our support around recovery, belonging, rehabilitation and wellbeing.

As a co-located wellbeing hub there a range of services that can be accessed or signposted from CoLab. For information about all the different agencies at CoLab please visit the website www.colabexeter.org.uk

CoLab Exeter also funds some adult learning opportunities and these are also advertised on the web site. These vary and are determined by funding opportunities and range from personal development to financial resilience.

The resilient women’s project is also based at CoLab and is able to support and signpost women in a range of circumstances.

The offer at CoLab does change as funding for projects is made available to it is always a good idea to check out the website or follow us on twitter for the latest information. www.colabexeter.org.uk

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Useful links and Services

Health & Wellbeing

• NHS: Every Mind Matters – expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing – nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters
• Talk Works – a free, confidential, NHS talking therapy service in Devon – talkworks.dpt.nhs.uk
• NHS: 5 steps to improve mental wellbeing –nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing
• Mind – providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem – mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/wellbeing/wellbeing
• WellBeing Exeter – a partnership of public, voluntary and community sector organisations who have come together to explore better ways of supporting the 40% of patients who visit their GP with socially based rather than medical problems – wellbeingexeter.co.uk
• CoLab Exeter – an integrated cross sector wellbeing and innovation hub – exeterworks.org/support-for-individuals/support#co-lab
• Citizens Advice – giving people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem – www.citizensadvice.org.uk/health/
• TALKWORKS – a free, confidential, NHS talking therapy service, part of IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies), for people (aged 18+) in Devon (excluding Plymouth), helping you to feel better and giving you the tools and techniques to improve your mental and physical wellbeing – www.talkworks.dpt.nhs.uk

Debt, Money and Welfare

• Money Advice and Pensions Service – free and impartial money advice, set up by government – moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en
• Exeter City Council – exeterworks.org/support-for-individuals/support#housing
• Citizens Advice – exeterworks.org/support-for-individuals/support#citizens-advice
• Turn to Us – helping people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through partner organisations – www.turn2us.org.uk/
• Exeter Food Bank – providing three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred in crisis – foodbank.org.uk
• GOV.UK – www.gov.uk
• National Debt Line – a charity giving free and independent debt advice over the phone and online – www.nationaldebtline.org/

Other help and support

• Volunteering: Do it – the platform to help people discover their purpose, enabling a kinder world where social wellbeing is a priority for all – do-it.org
• Consumer Rights with Citizens Advice – www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer
• Family and relationships with Citizens Advice – www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/
• Law and the Courts with Citizens Advice – www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/
• Immigration with Citizens Advice – www.citizensadvice.org.uk/immigration/
• Read Easy – www.readeasy.org.uk
• WayMakers – www.waymakers.co.uk

Housing

• Shelter – helping millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through advice, support, and legal services – england.shelter.org.uk/
• Citizens Advice – exeterworks.org/support-for-individuals/support#citizens-advice

Work and employment

• Exeter Works – exeterworks.org/support-for-individuals/redundancy
• ACAS – giving employees and employers free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice – www.acas.org.uk/
• Citizens Advice – exeterworks.org/support-for-individuals/support#citizens-advice

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