Mind Awarded £1.15 Million Cost of Living and Mental Health Support Programme

Wales & West Utilities has awarded a £1.15 million excluding VAT (£1.38 million including VAT) contract to Mind (The National Association for Mental Health) to deliver an integrated cost of living and mental health support programme across England and Wales.

Awarded through a direct award under the Light Touch Regime, the programme will provide financial, mental health and energy-related support through both national and local delivery.

At a national level, Mind will operate a Welfare Benefits Helpline supporting 8,230 individuals over a 21-month period, providing benefits advice, financial wellbeing support, awareness of the Priority Services Register and signposting to energy support services.

Locally, the programme will be delivered through 24 local Mind organisations, supporting 6,000 individuals over one year. Each local Mind organisation will support 250 people, including 100 individuals receiving one-to-one support and 150 receiving lighter-touch support through group sessions, drop-ins and workshops.

The programme aims to improve mental health and financial wellbeing, help vulnerable households manage energy costs, increase access to energy safeguarding services including the Priority Services Register, and improve awareness of carbon monoxide safety and energy protection.

The contract is expected to run from 7 August 2026 to 31 May 2028.

The award decision was made on 22 June 2026, with the earliest contract signature date scheduled for 29 July 2026. Wales & West Utilities said the contract was directly awarded to Mind on the basis of its technical capability, national infrastructure and federated network of local Mind organisations, stating that no alternative provider could deliver the required integrated mental health-led support model at the required scale across all participating gas distribution network regions.

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