Help through difficult times

Help through difficult times - including registering a death, support for bereavement and coping with illness.

Death and bereavement

• Registering a death
• Direct.gov.uk - death and bereavement: what to do after a death, how to organise a funeral.

Support and comfort

• The Samaritans- for someone you can talk to who will give you support. There are over 180 branches which are open 24 hours a day.
• Cruse Bereavement Care - provides a nationwide service of bereavement counselling, advice, information and social contact through its headquarters and more than 196 local branches, to anyone bereaved by death irrespective of age, race, religion, gender or sexual preference.
• www.counselling-directory.org.uk -  a free, confidential counselling support network, enabling those in distress to find a counsellor close to them and appropriate for their needs.

 Advice and support for carers

• Carers in Oxfordshire website. Advice and support for people looking after a relative, friend or neighbour who needs support because of frailty, illness, disability.

Reporting racism

• www.reportracismoxon.com Website supported by Oxfordshire Multi-Agency Network Tackling Racially Aggravated Harassment (MANTRAH), who
  work to combat racial harassment in Oxfordshire. Report racism using an online form and speak with staff trained to offer support and guidance to people who have been affected by racism.

Domestic violence

• Help and advice for domestic violence.
• If you are worried about a child's safety or wellbeing contact the NSPCC Helpline free and anonymously on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk

Dealing with debt problems

• Directgov debt advice. If you're in debt and you are finding it hard to cope, it's important to deal with the problem straight away - the longer you ignore your debts, the worse the situation becomes.
• Difficulty paying your Business Rates.  If you think you will have difficulty in paying your Business Rates it may be possible to make an alternative arrangement for payment.
• Council Tax - discounts, relief and exemptions.  Find out whether you qualify for a discount on your Council Tax.
• Housing and Council Tax Benefit.  If you are on a low income or have difficulty meeting rental payments, you may be eligible to claim housing benefit.
• Advice Centres. A brief list of advice centres and what they can offer.
• Debt Advice Foundation - a registered national debt advice charity offering free, impartial support and advice to anyone worried about debt.

Legal advice

• Community legal advice.  Free, confidential and independent legal advice for residents of England and Wales.