Money & benefits · England
Free or low-cost furniture and repair help
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This guide is for people in England.
You can ask someone you trust to help.
What do you need?
Write down the item you need.
Check the size and what makes it suitable for you.
Ask for help measuring your space.
Ask about help to pay
Ask your council or adviser about help with essential items.
Some charities have grants or referral schemes.
Check the rules before buying.
Charity furniture shops
Reuse charities sell affordable furniture and household items.
Some have free-item schemes with rules about who qualifies.
British Heart Foundation home stores sell second-hand items.
Ask about the price and delivery.
Finding the right charity
End Furniture Poverty explains where to look for help.
It does not give out furniture or grants itself.
Ask the local provider how to apply.
Freecycle
Freecycle has local groups giving away items.
Joining is free.
The items are free.
You usually need to arrange collection.
Olio
Olio has free household items and some items for sale.
Choose a free listing if you want a free item.
Keep messages in the app.
Do not pay an Olio user for delivery.
Check transport and costs
Can the item fit through your door?
Who will help move it safely?
Ask charity shops about all delivery and fitting costs.
Agree costs before saying yes.
Check the item is safe
Ask about damage, instructions and safety checks.
Ask for help checking electrical items.
Check whether the product has been recalled.
Do not use an item you think is unsafe.
Repair Cafés
Volunteers may help mend things you own.
Examples include clothes, furniture and small appliances.
Check what your local group can repair.
Check repair costs
Repair Café volunteer work is free.
You may need to pay for parts or materials.
Donations are your choice.
Not every item can be repaired.
Find a local group
Use the Community Repair Network link below.
The Restart Project also lists repair options.
Check dates, booking and costs before going.
Ask for the support you need
Ask about access, seating, quiet space and clear instructions.
Do not try electrical or gas repairs yourself.
Ask who is qualified to do the work safely.
Choose what works for you
You do not have to accept an unsuitable item.
Ask for another option if it does not meet your needs.
Use the plan below if it helps.
What you can do next
Check the full cost and any referral rules.
Ask for help with access and safe collection.
Find furniture-support routes Web pageThis link opens another website.
It may use harder words.
More useful links
- Reuse Network: find affordable household items Web page
Find local reuse charities and ask about prices and assistance.
- British Heart Foundation: furniture and home stores Web page
Second-hand furniture and appliances for sale; check delivery charges.
- End Furniture Poverty: finding help Web page
Explains support routes; it does not provide furniture or grants itself.
- Freecycle: give and get free items Web page
Free membership and free items in local groups.
- Olio: free food and household items Web page
Choose free listings; Olio also has paid and discounted options.
- Community Repair Network: find a repair group Web page
Find local groups; a list view is available as well as a map.
- Repair Café: how it works Web page
Volunteers help with repairs; check what your local event accepts.
- The Restart Project: repair options Web page
Free community events and other repair options; some services charge.
- GOV.UK: council help with essential costs Web page
Find England’s Crisis and Resilience Fund support.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Free or low-cost furniture and repair help — Easy Read
Find charity furniture, Freecycle, Olio and community repair groups, and check costs and collection.
England · People with learning disabilities, families and supporters
Start with what you need
List essential items and the size, height or other features that work for you. Measure doors, stairs and the space at home. An ordinary donated chair or bed may not meet specialist seating or equipment needs. Use our equipment guides if you need an assessment. If an essential is missing, explain the urgency rather than waiting indefinitely for a free listing.
Ask about grants and council help
Ask your council about crisis support for essential household items, and check our charitable-grants guide. Eligibility varies. Check approval before buying: a scheme may supply an item rather than reimburse you. A housing association or support worker may help identify referral routes.
Charities offering affordable furniture
Reuse Network helps you find local reuse charities. Ask whether they sell affordable items, offer a free referral scheme or have reduced prices for particular circumstances. British Heart Foundation home stores sell second-hand furniture and appliances; they are not a general free-furniture service. Ask the provider about stock, prices, delivery, installation and eligibility.
End Furniture Poverty
End Furniture Poverty explains ways to find furniture and appliance help, including local welfare and charitable routes. It is a signposting organisation: it does not give furniture or grants directly. Follow the relevant local provider’s application instructions and ask about referral requirements.
Freecycle
Freecycle membership is free and items listed must be free. Join a local Town group, look at offers or post a wanted request. Agree collection with the person offering the item. Availability and condition vary, and there is no guarantee that someone will offer what you need. Arrange suitable transport and help lifting before accepting large furniture.
Olio for household items
Olio has free household-item listings as well as paid listings. Choose free offers and agree collection through the app. Keep messages there and do not pay an Olio user for delivery: its rules prohibit this. This is separate from a charity shop’s own published delivery charges.
Check collection, delivery and the total price
For a charity purchase, ask whether the quoted price includes delivery, carrying upstairs, assembly, installation and removal of an old item. Check access to your home and who will do any heavy lifting. For person-to-person collection, agree a safe place and time, consider bringing someone you trust, and share only the information needed. Never share banking passwords or security codes.
Check safety before using an item
Inspect condition and ask about faults, instructions and product recalls. Used goods sold by a business must be safe, but hidden faults can exist. Ask how an electrical item has been checked and get competent help if unsure. Do not use damaged leads, unstable furniture or recalled products. A private gift does not carry all the same protections as buying from a trader; use our consumer-rights guide if a purchase goes wrong.
Repair Cafés and community repair groups
A Repair Café brings together people with broken items and volunteers with repair skills. Depending on the group, they may help with clothing, furniture, toys, bicycles or small appliances. Volunteer repair work is free, donations are voluntary, and new parts or materials may cost money. Success is not guaranteed and some items cannot be accepted. Agree any cost before work starts.
Find a repair group or device-repair event
Community Repair Network has a UK group finder with a list view as well as a map. The Restart Project lists free community repair events for devices and other repair options. Commercial repair shops may charge. Check the event date, booking, accepted items, access and likely costs with the organiser before travelling.
Ask for safe and accessible repair support
Explain if you need simple instructions, a quiet place, seating, breaks or help carrying an item. You can ask to watch or learn at your own pace. Do not attempt mains electrical or gas repairs yourself. A volunteer event is not a substitute for a qualified installer or your prescribed-equipment service. For a phone or computer, ask about protecting personal files and account information before handing it over.
If the right item or repair is unavailable
Ask whether the charity or group knows another local service. Compare repair, replacement and transport costs. Check a warranty or your consumer rights before paying for a repair. Do not accept unsuitable furniture just because it is free. If you cannot afford an essential, ask for an urgent council or advice-service assessment of the available help.
Words you could use
“I need an affordable household item or help repairing something. Please explain the costs, referral rules, access and collection arrangements.”
More useful links
- Reuse Network: find affordable household items Web page
Find local reuse charities and ask about prices and assistance.
- British Heart Foundation: furniture and home stores Web page
Second-hand furniture and appliances for sale; check delivery charges.
- End Furniture Poverty: finding help Web page
Explains support routes; it does not provide furniture or grants itself.
- Freecycle: give and get free items Web page
Free membership and free items in local groups.
- Olio: free food and household items Web page
Choose free listings; Olio also has paid and discounted options.
- Community Repair Network: find a repair group Web page
Find local groups; a list view is available as well as a map.
- Repair Café: how it works Web page
Volunteers help with repairs; check what your local event accepts.
- The Restart Project: repair options Web page
Free community events and other repair options; some services charge.
- GOV.UK: council help with essential costs Web page
Find England’s Crisis and Resilience Fund support.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
Where the information comes from
Links checked 7 November 2026.
These links open other websites.
They may use harder words.
- Reuse Network: find affordable household items Web page
Find local reuse charities and ask about prices and assistance.
- British Heart Foundation: furniture and home stores Web page
Second-hand furniture and appliances for sale; check delivery charges.
- End Furniture Poverty: finding help Web page
Explains support routes; it does not provide furniture or grants itself.
- Freecycle: give and get free items Web page
Free membership and free items in local groups.
- Olio: free food and household items Web page
Choose free listings; Olio also has paid and discounted options.
- Olio: avoiding scams Web page
Keep messages in the app and do not pay users for delivery.
- Repair Café: how it works Web page
Volunteers help with repairs; check what your local event accepts.
- Repair Café: costs and house rules Web page
Volunteer work is free; parts may cost and repairs are not guaranteed.
- Community Repair Network: find a repair group Web page
Find local groups; a list view is available as well as a map.
- The Restart Project: repair options Web page
Free community events and other repair options; some services charge.
- GOV.UK: buying second-hand goods safely Web page
Check condition, instructions and safety before use.
- GOV.UK: product safety alerts and recalls Web page
Check whether a product has been recalled.
- GOV.UK: council help with essential costs Web page
Find England’s Crisis and Resilience Fund support.
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