Cost of living help in Peterborough

If money is tight right now — start here

• One-off cash help: Peterborough's Crisis Payment Scheme gives a one-off payment (usually £50–£150) for a sudden crisis — a broken cooker or washing machine, fuel bills you can't pay, school uniform, setting up home after leaving an abusive partner. You do not need to be on benefits (savings under £1,000). Apply online at peterborough.gov.uk/money-and-benefits; local charities can help you fill it in.
• Free benefits check: try the council's calculator at peterborough.betteroffcalculator.co.uk — in its first months it found more than £120,000 of unclaimed benefits for local households.
• Free advice: Citizens Advice Peterborough — phone 0808 278 7850 (Mon–Fri 9am–4pm), or webchat via citizensadvice.org.uk. They can also issue a food bank voucher there and then.
• A network of free local help: the council funds about 20 community "hubs" (churches, charities, community centres) across the city — food, cafés, vouchers and application help. The live list is on the council's Crisis and Resilience Fund page.
• Food bank voucher? Call the free national Citizens Advice food bank line 0808 208 2138 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm) — an adviser can issue a Peterborough Foodbank e-voucher during the call.

1 · Food — banks, fridges, meals

Food banks (you need a voucher)

Peterborough Foodbank gives about three days' food per voucher. Get a voucher from Citizens Advice (0808 208 2138), or contact the food bank directly on 01733 575083 / [email protected] and they will put you in touch with a local agency (children's centres, health visitors, housing officers and others hold vouchers).

Walk-in food help — no voucher or referral needed

• iCare (UKIM Masjid Khadijah), 311–313 Cromwell Road PE1 3HP — food bank Sundays 8:30am–12:30pm ("no vouchers needed – just pop in"); emergency support Mon–Fri 4–9pm. 07965 245 211.
• Faizan E Madina Mosque, 169–175 Gladstone Street PE1 2BN — food parcels Thursday 9–10am (hours have varied — check before visiting). 01733 567285.
• Open Door Community Café & Food Hub, Harris Street, Millfield PE1 2LY (Searjeant Street Church Hall) — Tue & Thu 1–3pm: drinks, a snack and food/hygiene items to take away. Free; a £1 contribution "appreciated but not required". Bring a bag. Janet on 07715 275569.

Community fridges and pantries (free fresh food, no referral)

• The Food Basket (Barnardo's) — free fruit, veg and bakery goods, 2–4pm: Mon Orton Child & Family Centre, Herlington PE2 5PW · Wed East Child & Family Centre, Durham Road, Eastfield PE1 5JU · Thu First Steps Child & Family Centre, Scalford Drive, Welland PE1 4TR. Just turn up with a bag. Katy: 07751 645513.
• WestRaven Community Café, 24–28 Hampton Court, Westwood PE3 7JA — free community fridge plus a pay-what-you-can pantry, Mon–Fri 8am–3pm. 01733 330040.
• Paston Farm Community Centre, Freston, Paston PE4 7XP — free community fridge Wednesdays 11:30am–1:30pm; community café and hot meals through the week. 01733 570310.

Free meals and cheap community cafés

• FoodCycle Peterborough — free three-course community meal, every Monday 12:30pm at Park Road Baptist Church, Park Road PE1 2TF. No booking, no questions — just turn up.
• One Church City Centre Hub (one team, three churches, all free, just turn up; 07957 292111): St Mark's, 82 Lincoln Road — Mon 2–4pm "Tea 4 Free", Thu 12–2pm meal · St John's, Church Street (Cathedral Square) — Tue 10am–12 breakfast café with advice and digital help, Fri 11am–2pm meal · Park Road Baptist — Wed 10:30am–1pm meal.
• Wellspring "The Well" Café, The Alpha Centre, Adderley, Bretton PE3 8RA — free community café with drinks and cakes, Mon–Thu 9:30am–12. 01733 306401.
• Barnardo's cafés — cheap meals for everyone: Buttercup Café, First Steps Centre, Scalford Drive, Welland (12–2pm) and Honeypot Café, Honeyhill Centre, Paston (11:30am–1:30pm). Adults' meals £1–£1.50, children 50p.
• RCCG Dominion, 36–38 Park Road PE1 2TG — free cooked breakfast every Saturday 8–10am. 01733 686181.
• Peterborough Soup Kitchen — hot meals from the van at Dickens Street car park (behind the Central Library): Mon–Fri 7:30–8:30pm, Sat & Sun 12–1pm. Open to anyone.
• Referral-only help: Mary's Child (weekly parcels with fresh food, plus open cafés across Stanground/Orton Goldhay), Little Miracles (families with disabled children), GLADCA (Gladstone Street), COMPAS (Rivergate, multilingual), PARCA (Unity Hall, Northfield Road) and Family Action (Woodfield Park) all give food or food vouchers — contact them directly.

Cheap food clubs (pay a little, get a lot)

• Family Action Food Club, Welland — weekly tray of food worth at least £15 for £6 (£1 to join), Tuesdays 9:30am–1:30pm at Woodfield Park Community Centre, Normanton Road PE1 4XE. 01733 893 361.
• KingsGate Food Pantries — choose groceries worth more than £4.50, Wednesdays at Lime Academy (Saltersgate) and Thursdays at Manor Drive Secondary Academy (Porter Avenue). For families with a child at those academies.
• The Bread and Butter Thing, Thorney — three bags of surplus groceries for £8.50 at Bedford Hall, Station Road, Thorney. Anyone can join — text 07507 237311 with your name, postcode and "Bedford Hall, Thorney".
• Surplus-food apps: Too Good To Go (surprise bags at about a third of the price from local shops — Morrisons Peterborough, Central Co-op and others) and Olio (free food-sharing with neighbours).

Children's food

• Free school meals from September 2026: all school-age children in households on Universal Credit now get a free daily meal (the "expanded" scheme) — check with your school, many apply online via the council. Children in households on Universal Credit earning £7,400/year or less (after tax) get "targeted" free meals, which also unlock holiday clubs.
• Holiday clubs with free meals (HAF): free activities and a meal each day in school holidays for eligible children — book at eequ.org/hafpeterborough.
• Free breakfast clubs: from September 2026 twelve Peterborough schools run free daily breakfast clubs (including Highlees, Gladstone Primary, Gunthorpe Primary, Paston Ridings, Thorpe Primary). Ask your child's school.
• Healthy Start: a prepaid card for milk, fruit and vitamins — £4.65/week during pregnancy, £9.30/week for babies under 1, £4.65/week for ages 1–4, if you're on qualifying benefits. Apply at gov.uk/healthy-start. (Rates from April 2026.)

2 · Furniture and household essentials

• Care Zone furniture bank (KingsGate Church) — free good-quality furniture, kitchen items and bedding for households on low incomes or in crisis, at Dodson House, Fengate PE1 5XG. Referral only: a professional (Citizens Advice, Cross Keys Homes, the council's housing support team, a social worker) refers you. If you're not linked to an agency, email [email protected] for advice.
• Broken cooker, washing machine or fridge? The council's Crisis Payment Scheme explicitly covers replacing essential appliances, school uniform and setting up a home after leaving an abusive partner. Apply via peterborough.gov.uk/money-and-benefits — local hubs will help with the form.
• British Heart Foundation Home Store, Rivergate Centre PE1 1EL — second-hand furniture, sofas, beds and electricals at charity-shop prices, no referral. Mon–Sat 9:30am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm. 01733 821658.
• Second Chance School Uniform Shop — free pre-loved uniform and winter coats, sizes 4–16 (plus PE kit, bags, prom dresses). Units 1–2, St Peter's Arcade, Bridge Street (moved there August 2026). Open dates are published on the council's website (peterborough.gov.uk — search "Second Chance").
• New babies: Early Essentials Peterborough gives free Moses-basket starter packs (nappies, wipes, clothes) to vulnerable new mums — a midwife, health visitor or social worker refers you. The Peterborough Nappy Library offers free cloth-nappy support and low-cost hire kits (via the council's reusable-nappy page).
• Free items online: Freegle Peterborough (freegle.org.uk / trashnothing.com) and the Facebook group "Stuff ONLY for Free Peterborough" — furniture, white goods, baby kit and clothes, free between neighbours.
• Clothes and bedding: Care Zone also gives bedding, duvets and towels (referral, above). Several council-funded hubs give clothing to families they support (Barnardo's, COMPAS, iCare). For anyone sleeping rough, the Light Project's Garden House day centre has clothing and showers (see section 6).
• Period products: free in schools (ask the office); Peterborough Women's Aid gives them free to anyone at Anne's House, 32–34 Cromwell Road. The council also sells Mooncups for £5 and discount codes for reusable products (a discount scheme, not free).

3 · Money, benefits, bills and energy

Advice and benefits checks

• Citizens Advice Peterborough — free and independent. Phone 0808 278 7850 (Mon–Fri 9am–4pm) or use webchat at citizensadvice.org.uk. There is no drop-in office, so don't turn up anywhere expecting one. Universal Credit help: 0800 144 8444.
• Better Off Calculator — a 15-minute check of benefits and discounts you may be missing: peterborough.betteroffcalculator.co.uk.
• Age UK Cambridgeshire & Peterborough — income and benefits checks for older people: 0300 666 9860.
• Council tax too high? The Council Tax Reduction scheme cuts your bill if you're on a low income — and claiming Universal Credit does not cover it automatically; you must apply. peterborough.gov.uk or 01733 452 258. The council will also agree a realistic payment plan if you're behind.

Debt

• StepChange — free debt advice: 0800 138 1111 or stepchange.org.
• National Debtline — 0808 808 4000 (Mon–Fri 9am–8pm, Sat 9:30am–1pm).
• Christians Against Poverty — free debt coaching with home visits; Peterborough's centre is hosted by Open Door Church. Call 0800 328 0006 to check a local coach covers your postcode.
• KingsGate Community Money Advice — free debt help through KingsGate Church: kingsgate.church/debtadvice.

Energy and heating

• LEAP — free home energy visit: an adviser comes to your home, fits free small measures (LED bulbs, draught-proofing), checks you're on the cheapest tariff, and can refer you for income checks and bigger grants. Phone 0800 060 7567 or Green Energy Switch (Peterborough) on 01733 646253.
• Warm Homes Local Grant — up to £15,000 for insulation, solar, heat pumps and more, for low-income households (income under £36,000 or on means-tested benefits) in homes rated EPC D–G. Runs to March 2028. Phone Aran Insulation on 01284 812 520 (all Peterborough postcodes except PE1).
• Warm Home Discount — £150 off your electricity bill if you're on certain means-tested benefits. The scheme is closed for applications until October 2026, then reopens for winter — check gov.uk or ask LEAP.
• Broken boiler? Ask LEAP about boiler repair/replacement grants, or contact the council's housing team ([email protected]). Gas leak or smell: 0800 111 999, free, 24 hours.
• Winter Fuel Payment (2026–27): if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 you should get £100–£300, mostly automatically, paid November–December. One change to know: the payment is now clawed back only if your own income is over £35,000 — check gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment.
• Priority Services Register — free extra support (help in power cuts, priority when things go wrong) if you're of pension age, disabled, or have young children. Register with your energy supplier.
• Energy vouchers: the One Church city-centre hubs issue food and energy vouchers alongside their cafés — see section 1.

Water

• Anglian Water Extra Care — a free 10-minute assessment finds the right help: discounted tariffs (LITE, up to 50% off), payment breaks, WaterDirect (pay from your benefits), and an assistance fund for arrears. Phone 0800 169 3630 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 8am–4pm).

4 · Warm spaces and winter

• Year-round community hubs — several warm, free drop-ins run all year, not just in winter: the One Church cafés and meals (section 1), Wellspring's Well Café in Bretton (Mon–Thu mornings), Open Door in Millfield (Tue & Thu 1–3pm), Barnardo's Buttercup and Honeypot cafés, and WestRaven's café in Westwood. The council funds them and keeps the list at peterborough.gov.uk (search "CRF Community Partners") and on the Peterborough Information Network, fis.peterborough.gov.uk.
• Libraries are free, warm, and open to everyone — all ten branches have free WiFi, computers and free children's activities (see section 5). Some branches open 7 days a week on self-service "Open+" (Dogsthorpe, Eye, Stanground, Thorney, Woodston and others). Joining is free. One to watch: Central Library on Broadway may move temporarily to Northminster House for a refurbishment starting around December 2026 — check peterboroughlibraries.org.uk before visiting later in the year.
• Winter fuel and heating help is in section 3 — including the £150 Warm Home Discount (reopens October 2026), LEAP free energy visits, and the Warm Homes Local Grant for insulation.
• Free advice on staying warm and well: the council's "Stay Well this Winter" page (peterborough.gov.uk, search "Stay Well this Winter") pulls together fuel-poverty advice, NHS winter information and local help.
• If you are sleeping rough: the Light Project's Garden House day centre (Gravel Walk, off the Minster Precincts) is open daily with food, showers, laundry and clothing; during cold snaps the council activates extra emergency shelter (SWEP).

5 · Free days out and family activities

Parks and open spaces — all free

• Nene Park / Ferry Meadows — 500 acres of lakes, meadows and woodland 3 miles west of the centre. Free to walk, cycle or picnic; three free play areas. Parking costs £2.60–£7.80 (annual pass £110) — arrive on foot or by bike and it's free.
• Central Park — Victorian park with play areas, sandpit, aviary, outdoor gym and free junior parkrun on Sundays; the paddling pool is free in summer (July–August).
• Bretton Park — the council's largest green space, with the free Bretton Water Park splash area in summer (usually mid-July to end of August).
• Manor Farm Park (Eye) — skate park, zip wire, play areas and bluebell woods. Itter Park (Paston) — Green Flag gardens and play. The Embankment — riverside walk by the Nene. Plus eight free skate parks across the city and Dogsthorpe Star Pit nature reserve.

Free (or pay-what-you-can) attractions

• Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery, Priestgate — free entry, seven galleries and changing exhibitions. Tue–Sat 10am–4pm. (Tiny Tots sessions for under-5s are £4.)
• Peterborough Cathedral — pay-as-you-feel: visitors give what they can (a £6 donation is suggested) and no one is turned away. Check opening times before going — the cathedral closes for some events.
• Libraries — free weekly Rhymetime and Storytime for under-5s at all ten branches (Central: Tue 10:30 Rhymetime, Fri 10:30 Storytime), plus free membership, WiFi and computers. Monthly craft club at Central Library, £1. In September: the free Summer Reading Challenge.
• Heritage Open Days, 11–20 September 2026 — England's free heritage festival: free entry to Peterborough Lido on Sat 12 September, museum tours and talks all week, cathedral highlights tours. See heritageopendays.org.uk.

Swimming and leisure

• Vivacity runs Peterborough's pools and leisure centres (the old "Vivacity closed" rumour is wrong). Casual swim: adults £5.80, under-16s £4.50, under-5s £2. There is no free-swimming scheme for children — the junior price is the concession.
• Jack Hunt Pool is the only year-round public pool (Ledbury Road, 01733 864759); family fun sessions Fridays and Sundays. The outdoor Lido (Bishops Road) runs in summer. Free water play in summer: Central Park paddling pool and Bretton Water Park.

School holidays and youth activities

• HAF holiday clubs — free activities with a meal for eligible children (see section 1): book at eequ.org/hafpeterborough. Summer 2026 had more than 21,000 places at 50+ venues.
• Family hubs — free stay-and-play groups (Seedlings 0–2, Saplings 3–5) run from September 2026: [email protected]. Barnardo's child and family centres also run free stay-and-play and song sessions.
• Youth clubs (free): YMCA Youth Cresset, Bretton (ages 11–18, drop-in — 07521 390 606) · Living Better Active Youth Club (ages 10–16, Thursdays at City of Peterborough Academy) · CPY Connect (ages 11–16).

Getting there cheaply

• Bus fares — single fares are capped at £3 across England, and drop to £2 from 1 January 2027.
• Tiger Pass — free to apply, gives £1 single fares for anyone under 25 in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. Apply via cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk.
• Concessionary bus passes (older and disabled residents) are free all day within Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. PlusBus rail add-on: £3.80 for unlimited city buses.

6 · Other help and wellbeing

Mental health

• Feeling overwhelmed or in crisis? Call 111 and choose the mental health option — free, 24/7, all ages. It connects to the First Response team and, out of hours, The Sanctuary (CPSL Mind, open 4:30–11:30pm daily). Samaritans: 116 123, free, 24/7.
• Talking therapies (NHS, free, no GP referral needed) for anxiety, depression, stress and more: Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Talking Therapies, self-refer online at cpft.nhs.uk/talkingtherapies or phone 0300 300 0055.
• Free drop-ins: Good Mood Cafés — friendly weekly meet-ups, including Wednesdays 1–2:30pm at Heavenly Desserts, Cowgate (list via cpslmind.org.uk). Andy's Man Club for men, Mondays 7–9pm at the Hodgson Centre, Werrington. Young people: Kooth (online, ages 11–18) and Centre 33 (up to 25, 4 Cumbergate — drop-in Mon & Wed 12–5pm).
• GP link workers — ask your GP reception about social prescribing: a link worker connects you to free community groups, activities and support. Self-referral is accepted.

Digital, transport and carers

• Free internet and devices: free WiFi and computers in all libraries; Chromebook loans from Central Library (£20 refundable deposit); free digital help at 12+ "Digital Hubs" across the city (including St John's Church, Woodston Library, the Cresset); free SIM cards with data from the National Databank at the O2 shop in Peterborough.
• Getting about: Community Link runs door-to-door, wheelchair-accessible transport in the city for people who struggle with buses — membership £5/yr, bus-like fares, concessionary passes accepted (01733 425400). Free assessed transport to NHS appointments: 0300 777 5555.
• Cheap broadband and mobile — if you're on Universal Credit, Pension Credit or similar, you can switch to a "social tariff" at any time, free of charge: from £10/month (O2), £12 (EE, SMARTY, Virgin), £12.50 — just ask your provider. See ofcom.org.uk for the list.
• NHS costs — prescriptions cost £9.90 per item; if you pay for more than three items in three months, a Prepayment Certificate (£32.05/3 months or £114.50/year) is cheaper. Prescriptions are free if you're 60+, under 16 (or under 19 in education), pregnant, or on qualifying benefits — and the HC1 form (ask at any pharmacy) can get you full help (HC2) with prescriptions, dental and sight costs if you're on a low income. Contraception prescriptions are always free.
• Carers: unpaid carers can get free support — Making Space Carers Wellbeing Service (01480 211 006) and Caring Together (0345 241 0954, including grants and replacement care so you can take a break).
• Free repairs: the Peterborough Repair Café fixes electricals, clothes, bikes and more for free at pop-up events (rota on their Facebook page). The Green Backyard community garden runs a men's shed and bike workshop (Thursdays & Fridays 11am–1pm).
• Homelessness: the Light Project's Garden House day centre, Gravel Walk, PE1 1YU — daily food, drink, clothing, showers and advice (01733 560031).

Useful links