Social landlord Orbit says it has provided over £5 million in cost-of-living support to its tenants in 2025/26, an increase of over 25% on the previous year.

Orbit’s annual survey of customers showed that while customer finances are beginning to stabilise after several difficult years, significant hardship remains for many residents.

A quarter of the housing association’s residents say they worry about meeting everyday costs all or most of the time, one in 10 say they are still unable to cover their outgoings and a further 46% say money remains tight.

The findings also reveal the stark choices some households continue to face:

• 35% reported going without heating in order to save money
• 25% used a foodbank, representing a 150% increase compared to 2023.

In response, Orbit has expanded its Better Days programme over the past year, providing greater localised support via its new neighbourhood approach to thousands of tenants on a range of issues, including managing finances, health and wellbeing, employability and skills.

During the last year, Orbit delivered:

• 10,034 customer support interventions a 58% increase on 2024/25
• £5.6 million in cost-of-living support, a 27% year-on-year increase, including:
  • £3.2 million in estimated additional income secured through welfare benefit gains
  • £1.6 million of customer debt managed
  • £770,000 in estimated household savings
• £356,000 in hardship grants issued to customers, up 28% on the previous year.

Joe Brownless, Chief Customer Officer for Orbit, said: “While it’s encouraging to see some signs of stabilisation in customer finances, the survey makes clear that financial pressure remains a daily reality for many people. Our Better Days programme is designed to respond to that reality by putting customers at the centre of everything we do, combining practical financial support, wellbeing services and community-based help that reflects the real challenges people are facing.

“By listening closely to our customers and tailoring support around their individual circumstances, we’re not only helping households through difficult times, but also improving the overall customer experience by making our services more responsive, more accessible and more joined up. This approach helps build trust, resilience and stronger relationships with our customers over the long term.”