Who Turn2us is#
Turn2us traces its roots to 1897, when Elizabeth Finn founded the Distressed Gentlefolks' Aid Association at the age of 72. Today it is a national charity that aims to end financial insecurity in the UK, through free online tools, campaigning and research, and long-term partnerships in particular places. By its own figures, its digital services reached 6.2 million people in the year to May 2025, including 2.7 million benefit calculations and a million grant searches.
Using it now the helpline has closed#
Turn2us closed its helpline on 30 May 2025, and its helpline page now says it is no longer taking calls or referrals. In its place it offers:
- the Benefits Calculator, which checks what you may be entitled to;
- Grants Search, which covers more than 1,700 UK organisations that give grants;
- a PIP helper for Personal Independence Payment claims;
- an online assistant, a chat icon on its pages;
- Find an Adviser, to locate local and national advice services.
Many grant funds are open whatever your immigration status, it says, and some accept applications only through an adviser or support worker, such as a health professional, Citizens Advice or a local charity. Its own grant programme, the Edinburgh Trust, is for residents of the city and takes applications only through partner organisations.
Grant forms and your National Insurance number#
Turn2us publishes nothing about changing your name. Two of its pages matter if you have:
- Grant applications. Its guide to grants says funds usually ask for documents such as proof of address, bank statements, details of rent and, for some, work history. If those show different names, include your deed poll or certificate so the fund can see they are the same person.
- Your National Insurance number. Turn2us points out that the number is unique to you for life but is not a form of identity. It stays the same when your name changes; you tell HMRC and DWP the new name, and the number carries on.
Does a deed poll cost money?#
It does not have to. GOV.UK publishes the wording for an unenrolled deed poll, which anyone aged 16 or over can write out and sign before two witnesses aged 18 or over, at no cost. Can I get a deed poll for free? explains what a paid one adds, and help paying for a deed poll looks at the costs that can come with it, such as a new passport, and where help may exist. For a benefit claim, Universal Credit and other benefits explains how to report the new name.
This page describes what Turn2us publishes on its own website, read on 26 October 2026. Turn2us has not reviewed it, and listing a charity here does not mean it recommends this handbook or any deed poll service.
