CARERS UK: Carers UK are a fantastic charity that offers advice and support to carers, including advice about benefit. Carers UK have a website that is easy to navigate; they have an FAQ section on their website that is dedicated to the benefit cuts, answering any questions and uncertainties that you may have, regarding these changes to benefits. They also have an advice line which you can call if you need further information and advice. Advice line — 0808 808 7777. Website http://www.carersuk.org">www.carersuk.org

l Citizens' Advice Bureau: The CAB have been helping people with such crises for years, their website offers advice about housing benefit, there is also a piece about finding out what you can do if your housing benefit is cut. The CAB website also has a number of other advice guides on various other issues and benefits. The citizens' advice also have drop in centres with volunteers willing to help with these issues, you can take your benefit letters into the CAB branch and ask for help, they will always try to help with your situation and try to point you in the right direction. Website http://www.adviceguide.org.uk">www.adviceguide.org.uk

l Shelter: A homeless charity, they offer advice on their website about housing benefit, you can download a PDF shelter advice leaflet, and there is a tool where you can find out if you are entitled to housing benefit. There is also information about bedroom tax. There is a section that asks 'What is the overall impact of these cuts?' Shelter also offer housing advice, as they are a homeless charity they help with issues such as the threat of becoming homeless. Yhey also offer advice about budgeting, reducing outgoings and getting help with heating costs. There is also advice about ESA. Website http://www.shelter.org.uk">www.shelter.org.uk

l Gingerbread single parent helpline: A free helpline offering support for all sorts of issues including benefit and tax credit problems, they also have a website with various information and advice from relationships to benefits.

The helpline open times are Mondays, 10am to 6pm, Tuesdays/Thursdays/Fridays, 10am to 4pm, Wednesdays, 10am to 1pm and 5pm to 7pm. The Gingerbread single parent helpline number is 0808 802 0925. Website http://www.gingerbread.org.uk">www.gingerbread.org.uk

l Advice UK: This website has all sorts of advice and a list of helplines. This website has it all, a lot of advice lines for benefits, legal, money and debt, housing and much more. Website- http://www.adviceuk.org.uk">www.adviceuk.org.uk

Samaritans: If receiving that awfully worrying letter about benefit cuts has left you in distress, please don't despair, if you get to a really low point and feel that there is no way out, then please give the Samaritans a ring on their free number, they are a 24-hour service and they are there to listen to you when you are in crisis. For a friendly voice and someone to listen to you ring the Samaritans.

Here is their number — 08457 90 90 90. Website http://www.samaritans.org">www.samaritans.org

I hope that this guide will help you to find the advice that you need. There will probably be organisations that you have heard of here but you may not be aware of the advice services that they offer.

I hope that recent benefit cuts do not affect too many of you, but if they do please consider using some of these services for help and advice.

Alexandra Denman