Turn2us makes changes to helpline service

Over the last year, we’ve been reviewing the way we support people, understanding how we can have the most impact for those facing financial insecurity. Guided by these insights, we’re making some changes to our support offering.

This includes closing the Turn2us Helpline at 5pm on 30 May 2025, and shifting to a model rooted in our strong digital offering, and robust referral pathways to expert partner organisations.

With these changes in place, we'll reach more people, achieve better value for money, and deliver even greater impact for people experiencing financial insecurity. 

Why are these changes being made? 

As the complexity and scale of financial insecurity in the UK grows, it’s vital that we regularly evaluate whether we are fulfilling our purpose, using funds effectively, and achieving the best outcomes for those of us experiencing financial insecurity.

These questions were at the heart of our year-long helpline review, which aimed to understand the helpline’s effectiveness and establish what an ideal service would look like.

As part of the review, we consulted people with lived experience of financial insecurity, and other charities across the sector. From the review, we learned that the Turn2us Helpline delivers positive outcomes for a third of users. The remaining two thirds are either calling about an issue outside the helpline’s remit or need signposting to other sources of support e.g. Citizen’s Advice or a local authority.   

In contrast, our digital services reached 6.2 million people last year – including 2.7 million benefits calculations and one million grant searches.  

What will the new model of support look like? 

We’ve been working over the last year to strengthen our digital offering, including a bespoke chatbot service that sits on our website. 

We’re pleased to see that 99% of queries are now being successfully addressed within the chatbot, ensuring people are getting the right support, confidentially and immediately.

In the last quarter alone, we’ve responded to over 57,000 messages. If the chatbot can’t help with a complex query, users can simply fill in a "contact us" form, and a trained Turn2us support officer will get in touch. 

We’re also developing partnerships with organisations to help us offer more joined-up support. One example is our upcoming partnership with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), which will give Turn2us chatbot users the option to connect directly to mental health support, including CALM’s suicide prevention helpline and other resources.

We know that financial insecurity is complex, and that often, people need support in addition to what we can offer at Turn2us. By developing these partnerships, we can help people access support across a broader range of areas. 

How will Turn2us support people who don’t have access to technology or the internet? 

By developing and strengthening our referral pathways, we will ensure that people facing digital exclusion can get support from charities and organisations that are better equipped to deliver personalised helpline support.

As part of this, we’re partnering with the Help through Hardship helpline, to support anyone worried about money who reaches out to Turn2us but doesn’t have the skills or technology to use our digital services. 

We're excited to develop a service that creates a truly joined-up experience for people seeking support: one that draws on the expertise of our partners to ensure people get the right support at the right time. We will keep you updated as we grow our offering, but if you have any questions about the changes to this service, please contact Contactcentreenquiries@turn2us.org.uk.