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I got a letter

What does this letter mean?

The Household Support Fund ended on 31 March 2026. It was replaced by the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which your local council runs.

Tell us who sent it and what kind of letter it is. We'll explain it in plain English — what it is, how serious, what they want, your rights, the deadline, and the safest next step. No jargon. No panic. No legal essay.

Before you panic. Most UK official letters look more threatening than they actually are. The wording is designed to make you act — not to scare you. Once you know what you're looking at, almost every situation has options. Take a breath. We'll go through it together.
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Who sent the letter?

Pick the sender. You'll then choose the specific letter type. If you're not sure, pick the closest one or look at the logo and address at the top of the letter.

Which letter is it?

Pick the closest match. If you're not sure, look at the title at the top of the letter, or any reference numbers and statutory references it quotes.

Decode a letter now → — paste or photograph it and get it explained in plain English.

Council, HMRC and DWP letters: what each one usually means

Three organisations send most of the official post in Britain, and each behaves differently. Knowing which one you are holding tells you how quickly you need to act.

Council letter help

Councils write about Council Tax, housing, benefits and services. Council Tax letters escalate faster than almost any other UK debt. A reminder gives you around seven days. You get only two reminders in a financial year — after that a final notice cancels your right to pay in instalments and the whole remaining year becomes due. A court summons then adds roughly £85 to £97.50. See what happens at each stage and check whether you qualify for Council Tax Reduction, which is claimed separately and is not added automatically.

HMRC letter help

Most HMRC letters are notifications, not demands. A P2 explains a change to your tax code — worth checking, because a wrong code is a common reason people overpay for months. A P800 is a tax calculation: if you have overpaid you are usually due a refund, and if you have underpaid HMRC normally collects it by adjusting next year’s code rather than demanding a lump sum. Our HMRC letter guide explains each type, and tax codes covers how to read yours.

DWP letter help

A DWP letter is usually a decision, a request for information, or an overpayment notice. The date matters more than the wording: you generally have one month to request a mandatory reconsideration, and asking for a written statement of reasons extends that. Overpayments can be challenged and, in cases of severe hardship, waived. See Universal Credit and write your reply.

Not sure which you have?

Look for a reference number, an amount and a deadline. No amount and no deadline usually means it is informational. If a message pressures you to pay within minutes or asks for bank details, treat it as suspect and check it here first.