Tonight
If you have nowhere safe
999 if you are not safe. Then the council. Shelter by nation.
- In danger now
If you are not safe, or someone is hurting you, call 999 first.
- Ask the council
England: councils have a legal duty to help if you are homeless or will be within 56 days. This is not legal advice. Scotland, Wales and NI work differently. You can still apply even if you think you will be turned away. Ask to make a homelessness application.
- Shelter England
0808 800 4444. Housing advice. England law only. Official hours Mon–Fri 8am–5pm. Closed weekends and bank holidays.
Who this is for
Anyone with nowhere safe tonight, anyone who will be homeless soon, and anyone helping them. Signpost only. Not legal advice. You can still apply even if you think you will be turned away.
Nations
Pick your nation
England 56-day duty is not UK-wide. Default is England — Liverpool is England.
England
Councils have a legal duty to help if you are homeless or will be within 56 days. This is not legal advice. You can still apply even if you think you will be turned away. Ask to make a homelessness application.
Shelter England 0808 800 4444. Housing advice. England law only. Official hours Mon–Fri 8am–5pm. Closed weekends and bank holidays.
Wales
Shelter Cymru 08000 495 495. Mon–Fri about 9am–4pm. Rules differ from England. Not legal advice.
Scotland
Different law. Use Shelter Scotland, not the England number. Not legal advice. There is no national Shelter Scotland phone number listed here.
Northern Ireland
NI rules differ. Not legal advice. Use the GOV.UK council finder. No NI helpline number is listed here.
What to say
Three lines
Copy them if that helps. Change the first line if you still have a few days.
What to say — three lines, honest, not legal advice.
I am homeless tonight. I want to make a homelessness application. I need emergency accommodation.
Change the first line if you still have a few days.
Also
StreetLink, GP, veterans, unsafe home
Signpost only. Not a second homelessness application.
- StreetLink
England and Wales. If you see someone sleeping rough, send an alert. Website and app first.
- Veterans with nowhere tonight
Op FORTITUDE on VeteransAssist. This page does not duplicate that route.
- If home is not safe
If you are fleeing violence, also use Unsafe home. Call 999 if you are not safe.
Money
Benefits with no fixed address
You can still apply. This page does not say if you qualify. Not benefits or legal advice.
- Universal Credit
GOV.UK apply and rules. No extra numbers invented here.
- Personal Independence Payment
If you have a long-term health condition or disability. Working-age. Not benefits advice. This page does not say if you qualify.
- All benefits
GOV.UK directory. Independent calculators are listed there. We do not run a calculator.
Sources — last checked 1 Sep 2026
Official URLs this page signposts to. Numbers are taken from these pages. If a number has moved, use the link.
Why Help Hub exists
MN Labs builds paid compliance tools for UK businesses. Help Hub is the public-benefit side of the same company — free forever, no ads, no data selling. If something is wrong on a tool page, tell us at michael@mnlabs.uk.
Back to the full product site: mnlabs.uk · 96 compliance tools across 19 UK sectors.