Contact your local council

You can get advice and support from your local councils’ housing department. Below are the details for the areas we cover but if you are unsure which local district or borough council would deal with your housing query, enter the area on the governments website: Find your local council

Adur & Worthing

Phone: 01903 221063
Email: housing-services@adur-worthing.gov.uk
Website: www.adur-worthing.gov.uk

Littlehampton

Phone: 01903 737552
Email: housing.options@arun.gov.uk
Website: www.arun.gov.uk

Horsham

Phone: 01403 215100
Email: housing@horsham.gov.uk
Website: www.horsham.gov.uk

Mid Sussex

Phone: 01444 477574
Email: housingadvice@midsussex.gov.uk
Website: www.midsussex.gov.uk

Find your local homelessness services

You can search on Homeless England’s website for your local support services providing accommodation, advice, health services and outreach.
Search for homelessness services

Shelter

National homelessness charity providing information and advice on housing and homelessness.

Helpline: 0808 800 4444 (Weekdays 8am – 8pm, Weekends 9am – 5pm)
Website: www.england.shelter.org.uk

Citizens Advice

Provides free, confidential information and advice to assist people with housing, money, legal, consumer and other concerns. Find out your rights and responsibilities.

Adviceline: 03444 111 444 (Open Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm)
Textphone: 18001 03444 111 445
Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Guidance and Support from gov.uk

Government information on housing related issues and concerns.
Local Housing Services

To be referred to Turning Tides accommodation in the first instance you should visit one of our Hubs in Worthing or Littlehampton, or you should make contact with our Outreach Team in Horsham or Mid Sussex.

Our Hubs provide drop in crisis support for those that are rough sleeping or at risk of homelessness. This support includes shower facilities, laundry facilities, breakfast, advice and support to access services.

Up to date details of Hub opening times are available on our website

For addresses and contact details of our Hubs/Outreach Teams please go to:

• Worthing Community Hub
• Littlehampton Community Hub
• Horsham & Mid Sussex Support

Universal Credit has replaced Housing Benefit for most people, along with these other benefits:

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Income Support

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re not working or you’re on a low income. To check to see if you may be eligible for Universal Credit go here

You might be able to get Housing Benefit to help pay your rent if you are on a low income or you claim benefits – but most people have to claim Universal Credit.

To check to see if you can get Housing Benefit visit go here

If your Housing Benefit doesn’t cover your rent, you might also be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).

For help to claim benefits you can contact Citizens Advice:
Phone: 0800 144 8 444
Textphone: 18801 0800 144 8 444 (Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm)

To apply for Housing Benefit, Universal Credit and Discretionary Housing Payment you will need to go to your local council. You can find your local council by entering in a postcode or town here

For more information before applying you can visit:

• Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Discretionary Housing Payment 

If you would like to apply or have any questions around other benefits you can contact your local Jobcentre or the Pension Service, informing them that you would also like to apply for Housing Benefit at the same time. You can do this if you are applying for:

• Income Support
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Pension Credit

The Jobcentre or Pension Service will send your completed form to your local council.

To find your nearest job centre enter a post code here

Worthing Jobcentre Plus
Crown House
High Street
Worthing
West Sussex
United Kingdom
BN11 1NG

Telephone: 0845 604 3719
Textphone: 01903 286133

Littlehampton Jobcentre Plus
Crown Building
33 Church Street
Littlehampton
West Sussex
United Kingdom
BN17 5ER

Telephone: 0845 604 3719
Textphone: 01903 286133

Horsham Jobcentre Plus

50 East Street
Horsham
West Sussex
RH12 1HN
United Kingdom

Phone: 0345 608 8545 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm)

Main Job Centre Phone numbers (Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm)

New Benefit Claims: 0800 055 6688
Existing Benefit Claims: 0800 169 0310
Cancel or change jobcentre appointment: 0800 328 9344
Universal Credit: 0800 328 9344

You will need to speak with your local Housing Officer at the council.

Adur & Worthing

Phone: 01903 221063
Email: housing-services@adur-worthing.gov.uk
Website: www.adur-worthing.gov.uk

Littlehampton

Phone: 01903 737552
Email: housing.options@arun.gov.uk
Website: www.arun.gov.uk

Horsham

Phone: 01403 215100
Email: housing@horsham.gov.uk
Website: www.horsham.gov.uk

Mid Sussex

Phone: 01444 477574
Email: housingadvice@midsussex.gov.uk
Website: www.midsussex.gov.uk

The following providers will be able to signpost you to support:

Citizens Advice

Provides free, confidential information and advice to assist people with housing, money, legal, consumer and other concerns. Find out your rights and responsibilities.

Adviceline: 03444 111 444 (Open Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm)
Textphone: 18001 03444 111 445
Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk

The Money Advice Service

Free national service providing guidance, tools and resources to support people’s money management and to help people tackle debt.

Money Advice Line: 0800 138 7777 (Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
Email: enquiries@maps.org.uk
Website: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

Turn2Us

National charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. Range of online resources such as a benefits calculator informing you which means tested benefits you may be entitled to. Online grants search tool helping you to look for funds that you may be eligible to apply for.

Website: www.turn2us.org.uk

StepChange Debt Charity

National charity providing free debt advice, to help people deal with debt, confidently budget and find solutions for long term financial control.

Phone: 0800 138 1111 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm)
Website: www.stepchange.org

Worthing Food Bank

Providing food parcels for those in need. Please be aware that before visiting a food bank that a food bank voucher must first be issued by a referring agency, this can include Citizen’s Advice, Turning Tides, doctors, social workers etc. Details of where to get a voucher and opening times are included on the website below:

Phone: 07918 759664
Website: www.worthingfoodbank.co.uk

Littlehampton Food Bank

Providing food parcels for those in need. Please be aware that before visiting a food bank that a food bank voucher must first be issued by a referring agency, this can include Citizen’s Advice, Turning Tides, doctors, social workers etc. Details of where to get a voucher and opening times are included on the website below:

Phone: 07925 862289
Website: www.littlehamptondistrict.foodbank.org.uk

Horsham Food Bank

Providing food parcels for those in need. Please be aware that before visiting a food bank that a food bank voucher must first be issued by a referring agency, this can include Citizen’s Advice, Turning Tides, doctors, social workers etc. Details of where to get a voucher and opening times are included on the website below:

Phone: 0300 1240204
Email: info@horsham-matters.org.uk
Website: www.horshamdistrict.foodbank.org.uk

Haywards Heath Food Bank

Providing food parcels for those in need. Please be aware that before visiting a food bank that a food bank voucher must first be issued by a referring agency, this can include Citizen’s Advice, Turning Tides, doctors, social workers etc. Details of where to get a voucher and opening times are included on the website below:

Phone: 0808 2082138
Website: www.haywardsheath.foodbank.org.uk

Burgess Hill Food Bank

Providing food parcels for those in need. Please be aware that before visiting a food bank that a food bank voucher must first be issued by a referring agency, this can include Citizen’s Advice, Turning Tides, doctors, social workers etc. Details of where to get a voucher and opening times are included on the website below:

Email: hurstfb@gmail.com
Website: www.burgesshillfoodbank.org.uk

East Grinstead Food Bank

Providing food parcels for those in need. Please be aware that before visiting a food bank that a food bank voucher must first be issued by a referring agency, this can include Citizen’s Advice, Turning Tides, doctors, social workers etc. Details of where to get a voucher and opening times are included on the website below:

Phone: 07856 864251
Website: www.eastgrinstead.foodbank.org.uk

Night shelters offer a basic place to sleep, they are often shared spaces with separate provision for each gender. There are usually set times to arrive and depart as people are not able to stay during the day.

Night shelters often provide essentials such as food and toiletries and staff/volunteers are able to signpost people to services providing support. Access to night shelters varies depending on their resources and how they operate but most require a referral from another organisation, such as Turning Tides or the council. Night Shelters are often run by local charities or faith-based groups but some are commissioned by Local Authorities.

Turning Tides were funded by Adur and Worthing Council and Arun District Council to provide winter night shelters in Worthing and Littlehampton in 2019. This helped keep rough sleeper numbers low and the most vulnerable rough sleepers were safe, secure and warm. Over the core winter months the two night shelters offered beds to a combined number of 83 people, some of whom subsequently moved into housing as a result of the support they received.

SWEP stands for Severe Weather Emergency Protocol. Local Authorities commission SWEP to provide spaces for rough sleepers to shelter from extreme weather. Where there is a significant risk of death due to extreme weather, such as falling below freezing on 3 consecutive nights, temporary shelter opens up to provide free emergency shelter.

During the winter months of 2019 SWEP provision included our Worthing Community Hub which was used for emergency shelter on almost 20 occasions when weather was considered to threaten the life of rough sleepers, 29 people accessed our SWEP shelter during that time.   

Providers of SWEP can vary dependent on the local context of services housing supply.

West Sussex Wellbeing

Wellbeing is a friendly and impartial service helping you to find local health and wellbeing information and services. The online directory can help you find out about local activities and support services.

Website: www.westsussexwellbeing.org.uk

Adur and Worthing

Information line: 01903 221450

Email: info.wellbeing@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Arun

Phone: 01903 737862

Email: info@arunwellbeing.org.uk

Horsham

Telephone: 01403 215111

Email: info@horshamdistrictwellbeing.org.uk

Mid Sussex

Phone: 01444 477191

Email: wellbeing@midsussex.gov.uk

West Sussex Mind

Local mental health charity providing information and support to anyone experiencing mental health issues.

Phone: 01903 277000

Email: info@westsussexmind.org

Website: www.westsussexmind.org

Samaritans

Providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom.

Phone: 116 123 (24 hours, 365)

Email: jo@samaritans.org

Website: www.samaritans.org

Safe in Sussex

Providing help and support to people affected by domestic abuse across West Sussex.

Website: www.safeinsussex.co.uk

CGL

Providing help and support to people who require support for substance misuse issues across West Sussex.

Phone: 0300 303 8677

Email: WestSussex.contact@cgl.org.uk

Website: www.changegrowlive.org.uk