Published: Thursday, 23rd October 2025
Cllr Jo Rust, Cabinet member for People and Communities explains some of the support available to residents.
As the nights draw in, the temperature drops, and we head towards the winter months it can feel even harder for people struggling with everyday living costs as well as mental well-being.
For some residents the concern of heading towards Christmas, and the extra demand placed on family budgets, can create stress and be overwhelming as some may live life from day-to-day or even moment-to-moment and this has the effect of storing up bigger problems for later.
People often respond to money problems in one of two ways. They either avoid the problem altogether because they don’t know how to get out of it or, they panic and go for a short-term solution like giving up their home or going to a money-lender – both of which usually make things worse in the long term.
But it doesn’t have to be like that and the council’s main message is: talk to us before doing anything else – we can help.
We can check that you are getting all the financial benefits you are entitled to. If you’re in debt we have services that will help you get back on track. If you find yourself in crisis we may be able to arrange help with food and rent costs.
If you’re struggling with your mental health we can put you in touch with people who can help with that too.
We understand that it can be really difficult to think beyond today’s problems but please take that first step of talking to us.
Beat your bills
Our cost-of-living roadshows have been visiting towns and villages across West Norfolk for the last three years.
These events offer help on all aspects of cost of living, including information about how to access benefits, grants, discounts, save money and more.
At each roadshow there are staff on hand to answer questions and give information on a range of cost-of-living subjects, including energy bills, rent problems, general money worries, grants, benefits and advice on how to reduce costs.
We have several of these scheduled over the next few months. Dates and times below.
- Hunstanton (Helping Hands Café) – 27/10/2025 10:00-12:00
- King’s Lynn Discovery Centre (Spooky Fun Day) – 30/10/2025 12:00-15:00
- Downham Market (Downham Market) – 31/10/2025 09:00-14:00
- Runcton Holme (Coffee Morning) – 05/11/2025 10:00-12:00
- Marshland St James (Farmers Market) – 30/11/2025 10:00-14:00
- Wimbotsham (Café Connect) – 06/12/2025 10:00-12:00
- Hilgay (Christmas Coffee Morning) – 11/12/2025 10:00-12:00
- Hunstanton (Friday Group) – 09/01/2026 10:00-12:00
- Dersingham (Coffee Morning) – 15/01/2026 10:00-12:30
- Heacham (Chit, Chat & Coffee) – 17/02/2026 10:00-11:30
Money advice not money lenders
Because going to a money lender means fast access to cash without having to fill out forms, it can be a really tempting choice. But these people prey on desperation, charging huge amounts of interest and sometimes threatening or using violence to make you pay.
There ARE alternatives. If you get proper money advice they can help you maximise your income, making sure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to and other help, such as discretionary support payments. They may be able to help you consolidate some of your debt or help you make payment agreements that you can manage.
The council pays for a money advice service that’s specially to help with this and free to use – visit ncab.org.uk, call 0800 144 8848 or drop in at Hanse House between 10am-2pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Hang on to your home?
Rent is usually a household’s biggest cost and recently we have had a lot of phone calls from people who have given up their tenancies because they think they can’t afford it. They intend to go on the housing register to get an affordable home.
What many people don’t realise is that in many cases Government rules see this as making yourself ‘intentionally homeless’, which means that the council can’t do much to help.
Even if we can help, it could be a long wait as very few affordable homes are available and there are around 1200 people on the housing register in this borough alone.
Over the past three months only 60 homes with 3 or more bedrooms have become available – that’s about 20 each month.
For most people the best plan is to work out a way of staying in your current home. We can help with this.
Even if staying where you are isn’t right for you, the most important thing you can do is talk to us before making any big decisions as this is when we can give you the most help.
Find out more about Lily and visit the Lily website
The Lily online directory lists organisations, services and activities that can help people live healthy, active, and independent lives. - Asklily.org.uk is the one-stop-shop for finding local organisations, services, and activities. Whether you're interested in volunteering, joining a new hobby group, or need advice on things like housing and finance, Lily can point you in the right direction. Developed by the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, this free online directory connects residents with hundreds of local services, from health and wellbeing resources to things to do and childcare support.
Visit asklily.org.uk to find out more.
Our Lily team sit within the Careline Community Service department that supports thousands of people across Norfolk and parts of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Lincolnshire, to remain living independently in their own home.
The team has recently recruited staff to work on the Proactive Intervention Service. Funded by Norfolk County Council this innovative initiative aims to prevent, reduce, and delay the need for statutory and NHS services by supporting adults in West Norfolk to age well and live independently. It will help residents access a wide range of services and activities that promote wellbeing and reduce the risk of falls.
Food for Thought
Our Lily team have organised many Food for Thought sessions over the last few years. Having taken it to venues in Downham Market, Hunstanton and King’s Lynn many times, I’m pleased that we can now deliver them in our villages.
Terrington St Clement Methodist Church on Wesley Road is hosting weekly sessions every Tuesday from 9:30am until 11:30am until mid-December.
These free, family-friendly sessions aim to help residents learn new cooking skills, swap recipe ideas and discover ways to eat healthy and nutritional food while also saving money.
I encourage residents of Terrington, as well as Clenchwarton, Tilney All Saints, Terrington St John, the Walpoles and beyond to pop in on a Tuesday morning.
Each week there will be tips about how to cook healthy and tasty food without breaking the bank. The themes to be focused on are listed below, booking is not required and you can stay for as long or as little as you like:
- 28/10/2025: Batch cooking
- 4/11/2025: Dried and tinned foods
- 11/11/2025: Seasonal savings
- 18/11/2025: Dietary alternatives
- 25/11/2025: Low-cost desserts
- 2/12/2025: Fakeaway meals
- 9/12/2025: Low calorie cooking
- 16/12/2025: Festive savings
For more information on these sessions either email asklily@west-norfolk.gov.uk or telephone Lily on 01553 616200.
We’re here for you
If you feel ready to talk to us, you can call 01553 616200. Ask for housing options to talk about your housing situation or ask for Lily for anything else.
If you have internet access, have a look at our website pages on help with the cost of living at west-norfolk.gov.uk/costofliving. The pages are broken down into different problems you might be facing and tell you where to get help for each one.