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Upcoming elections

Get ready to vote on 7 May 2026 for who will represent you on West Surrey Council. This will replace Surrey County Council and 11 borough and district councils (including Guildford) from 1 April 2027.

Find out more information about the upcoming election.

Help from the government

Help for households from government

Help for Households

The Help for Households government campaign (opens new window) explains the different schemes available to help with the cost of living. It covers new one-off payments and existing benefits and schemes, including:

If you need help with rent or living expenses you may qualify for Universal Credit (opens new window). Other government benefits available including eligibility, appeals and tax credits. (opens new window)

Help to Save

Help to Save is a savings scheme for low-income earners. You can deposit between £1 and £50 a month into your account. You'll receive a government bonus of 50p for every £1 saved even if money has been withdrawn.

HMRC has produced a video on YouTube (opens new window) to help you learn about the scheme.

Find out more and apply for the Help to Save scheme (opens new window)

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is a scheme for pensioners. Around a third of those eligible for Pension Credit are not claiming it and could be missing out on extra money each week. The average weekly amount of Pension Credit is over £67.

Find out more information about Pension Credit (opens new window)