Cost of Living Support
Being a kidney patient, carer or family member can take its toll on your finances, Find out what support is available to help you with the cost of living
Financial assistance grants
Our financial assistance grants are to help support kidney patients experiencing financial hardship, related to or resulting from the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Well-being food vouchers
The purpose of the Kidney Wales Wellness Voucher Scheme is to provide a pot of funding to buy supermarket food vouchers to meet individual needs.
Foodbank support
Kidney Wales work alongside Trussel Trust foodbanks across Wales to help provide emergency food parcels to those in need. Available to all kidney patients, parents & carers of chronic kidney disease.
How does it work?
We chat about your needs and identify that you need a parcel.
We take some basic details eg. Address, household size/children, ages and any pets.
We find your nearest foodbank and provide you with a voucher to hand to friendly foodbank staff.
We can issue additional vouchers after 4 weeks if you are still in need of support.
Whilst issuing a foodbank voucher we will work with you to find long term solutions to your circumstances such as seeking benefit advice in order to maximise your income.
If you are in food crisis contact us now
Welfare & Benefits
The rising cost of living has left many kidney patients and their families struggling to make ends meet. We know that being a kidney patient can put a strain on finances particularly if unable to work or having to reduce hours because of kidney disease.
Kidney Wales are here to support you, our friendly team can help find out what you could be entitled to, to help maximise your income.
You can either call us and we can take you through what benefits or Grants you may be eligible for or you can visit our partners at Turn2us and take a look at their benefits calculator.
The best thing about the benefits calculator is that you can run through it in your own time, its free and confidential.
Debt Advice & Support
Kidney Wales are working together with StepChange debt charity with the aim of providing those most vulnerable with free advice and help in managing finances and finding affordable debt solutions.
StepChange Debt Charity is the UK’s leading debt advice charity, helping over 650,000 people every year to take back control of their finances and their lives. The support they offer is free, impartial and confidential, and every client receives personalised advice to help them deal with their debts.
What does debt advice involve?
- StepChange will gather details about your income, spending, debts, and assets
- Help you to complete a financial statement
- Recommend solutions and a course of action to deal with your debts
- Support you to put your plan into action
- Contact creditors on your behalf
Call us today to start your journey to being debt free or ask us for more information
British Gas Energy Trust
If you are struggling with energy debt our friends at the British Gas energy trust may be able to help.
How can the British Gas energy trust help?
If you’re struggling with domestic gas and electricity debts owed to British Gas or other suppliers, you may be eligible to apply for a grant from the Trust to clear that debt. You don’t have to be a British Gas customer to apply for an Individual & Families energy debt grant, but we will require a recent energy statement that shows your energy debt.
How do I get help?
Kidney Wales can contact the British Gas Energy Trust on your behalf and start an application for a grant to help pay your energy debt.
- All we need is your energy account details, proof of energy debt (energy statement or letter)
- Proof that you have consulted debt advice previously from either citizens advice or a debt advice source (StepChange)
This is all we need to start your application for support.
Nest
We are proud partners with NEST a Welsh Government Warm Homes scheme. NEST provide energy efficiency improvements to low-income households and those living in deprived communities across Wales. Their aim is to help eradicate fuel poverty.
The home improvement package could include:
- New boiler
- Central heating systems
- Insulation
- Draught improvements
Eligibility
- You own your home or rent from a private landlord (not Council or Housing Association)
- Your home is energy inefficient and expensive to heat
- You or someone you live with receives a means tested benefit OR has a chronic respiratory, circulatory or mental health condition and an income below defined thresholds
If you are eligible, NEST will recommend a package of energy efficiency improvements at no cost to you. They will make your home warmer and save you money on your energy bills.
NEST advisors will ask you some questions about your property and the benefits you receive, so please make sure you have your benefit award letter and, if applicable, your landlord details to hand when you make the call.
To apply to NEST CALL: 0808 808 2244 Or visit their website nest.gov.wales.
What if I don’t qualify for home energy efficiency improvements?
If you don’t qualify for free home energy efficiency improvements, NEST can still provide advice on saving energy, money management, energy tariffs and benefit entitlement. they can also refer you to other schemes which may be able to provide home energy efficiency improvements at no or low cost to you.