No one should have to make the choice between eating and heating; no parent should have to watch their children miss meals because their cupboard is bare; no worker should have to put in 50 to 60 hour weeks, working multiple jobs, just to scrape by. But sadly, with rocketing inflation, energy bills and other pressures, that is the stark choice many face this winter.

We know that many Nottingham households were already struggling and that the cost of living crisis is going to hit them hard. So, today we are launching an information campaign, to raise awareness of the money advice and guidance available as winter approaches and the cost of living crisis bites.

Please know that you are not alone and that help is at hand. Nottingham people will support each other too through this crisis ? just like we did during the worst of Covid ? so pass on this information to friends and family. It could make a real difference.

I?d like to thank the members of the Nottingham Financial Resilience Partnership for supporting this campaign.

You can visit the Ask Lion website to access a useful one-stop-shop www.asklion.co.uk/money that pulls together simple steps everyone can take to help manage their finances, such as:

• Taking control of your household spending with a budget plan, using free budgeting tools at asklion.co.uk/budgeting
• Tips for reducing and prioritising your bills at asklion.co.uk/bills
• Checking the benefits you?re entitled to, using the Benefits Calculator tool at asklion.co.uk/benefits
• Finding places which offer cheap food, including community supermarkets, social eating projects and food banks at asklion.co.uk/food
• Saving whenever possible ? perhaps with the Notts and Lincs Credit Union nottsandlincscu.co.uk
• Free or discounted public transport in Nottingham with Concessionary Travel Passes or other travel discount schemes at asklion.co.uk/travel
• Benefits for children including free childcare, Healthy Start Vouchers and free school meals can be found at asklion.co.uk/benefits.

The Ask Lion website also signposts people to a wide range of support agencies providing free and confidential advice with more complex issues.

Debt advice services can provide guidance on issues such as arranging temporary payment holidays, debt consolidation options, managing bills, dealing with bailiffs and debt management companies. These include StepChange Debt Charity (www.stepchange.org), National Debtline (www.nationaldebtline.org) as well as local advisers available through www.asklion.co.uk/debt

Anyone struggling to pay their rent or mortgage should speak to their landlord or mortgage lender in the first instance. However information about housing support including Housing Aid, Tenancy Advice and Discretionary Housing Payments is available at www.asklion.co.uk/housing

Mental health support is also available through www.asklion.co.uk/mentalhealth with a directory of local support services, emergency helplines and online resources.

While a lot of information is available online, it?s recognised that not everyone has access to the internet. Therefore all Nottingham City Libraries provide free access to computers with an internet connection, and free access to wi-fi from personal devices.