Better off Eastbourne
Help for people of working-age facing financial hardship
It helps working-age people in Eastbourne who are experiencing financial hardship and has grown out of Eastbourne Foodbank's debt, budgeting and welfare benefits advice service.
How does it work?
We will identify anyone who may be eligible for the service, using council records and other information, and will send you an invitation letter.
There is no need to apply or contact us before this - everyone who is eligible for the service will receive an invitation directly.
If you are eligible for help through this service, you will receive an invitation to meet or speak with a Better off Eastbourne money advisor.
The advisor will help make sure you are receiving all the benefits, social tariffs and grants you are entitled to. They will help you apply for any further financial help you may be eligible for.
If appropriate, you may also be referred for a special grant to relieve your Council Tax debt for this year.
The service is available to working-age residents who have been identified as being in financial hardship and who currently get Council Tax Reduction. Eastbourne Borough Council's working-age Council Tax Reduction scheme is capped at an 80% reduction.
As part of Better off Eastbourne, Eastbourne Borough Council has created a new hardship fund, to further ease the financial pressure of council tax on low‑income households.
If you are awarded a grant under this hardship fund, the money will be applied directly as a reduction to your Council Tax bill.
Who can access Better off Eastbourne?
To qualify for this support, you must:
- live in Eastbourne borough
- be liable to pay Council Tax
- get Council Tax Reduction
- be of working-age
- not have received a Council Tax Reduction Exceptional Hardship Fund (EHP) payment or a Crisis and Resilience Housing Payment (CRFHP), except in exceptional circumstances where payment was necessary to prevent arrears, and
- not hold savings exceeding £5,000.
Priority for debt relief grants will be given to people who are in the Vulnerable and Household Vulnerable groups for the Council Tax Reduction scheme. To be included in these groups, you or a household member must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance.
This includes households with children, residents with disabilities or long‑term illness, individuals experiencing a sudden loss of employment or changes in benefit entitlement.
Debt relief grants will be targeted to households experiencing financial hardship where there is a risk of Council Tax arrears escalating, helping to prevent further debt accumulation and the need for recovery or enforcement action.
What will happen when you meet an advisor?
The sessions will take place in community settings including the fridges, pantries and foodbank's standalone Advice Café.
A money advisor would first help you complete the InBest calculator. This is to make sure you are receiving all welfare benefits you are entitled to.
If the InBest calculator shows you are entitled to additional benefits or energy tariff reductions, you must agree to make these applications.
If you are granted a hardship payment, you must keep up your Council Tax instalments unless you can demonstrate a change in circumstances that has left you worse off.
If you live with someone who works and is a non-dependent, you will need to show how they are contributing financially to the household.
How will decisions about grant awards be made?
Decisions about awards will be made following an assessment of eligibility, completion of the InBest calculator alongside Eastbourne Foodbank and suitable payment arrangements have been agreed to pay outstanding Council Tax arrears. Eastbourne Foodbank will liaise with Eastbourne Borough Council to agree reasonable payment plans.
