Ubuntu Pledge
Information, Advice & Guidance

Need help with a form,
letter or online service?

Practical, one-to-one help at 1 Thorpe Close, W10 — in person, online or by phone. Start with a free ten-minute service check; there is nothing long to fill in.

You may need help with one immediate task or with a more complicated situation involving several organisations. We begin by understanding what is happening, assessing the support required and agreeing the next steps with you.

Register with us Refer someone

Free 10-minute service check · £55 an hour pay as you go · £25 an hour for Ubuntu Members · Urgent / priority £150 an hour

Services provided

Practical, one-to-one help with the everyday admin that holds people back. We are not a regulated legal, immigration or financial advice service — where that is needed, we refer you to someone qualified.

Forms and applications

Benefits, housing, school, council and everyday applications — we help you understand the questions and fill them in accurately.

Letters and emails

Explaining in plain English what a letter is asking for, and helping you draft a clear, polite general reply.

Digital and online services

NHS App, council portals, online accounts, passwords, ID verification and online safety.

Contacting organisations

Preparing for calls and sitting with you while you call, so you know what to ask and what to record.

CV and employment support

CVs, cover letters, job applications and interview preparation.

Plain-English explanation

Breaking down official language so you know exactly what is being asked of you.

Printing, scanning and uploading

Getting your documents into the right format so applications can be completed properly.

Signposting and referrals

Where an issue needs regulated or specialist advice, we connect you to a qualified service.

What we can do

  • · Explain general information and what a letter or form is asking for
  • · Help you organise and prepare your documents
  • · Give practical, hands-on digital assistance
  • · Record the information you give us on your file
  • · Help you draft general administrative letters and emails
  • · Signpost or refer you to a qualified service

What we can’t do

We do not give legal or immigration advice, interpret your legal rights, negotiate with creditors, provide regulated financial or debt advice, represent you in a regulated matter, or help secure new private, social or council housing. Where any of that is needed we signpost or refer you to a qualified partner — solicitors, housing specialists, accountants, debt advice services or council teams.

Our support packages

Most of the situations people bring us fall into one of four areas. Read what each package covers, or simply request support and we will place you in the right one.

Cost of Living and Household Support

Practical help when the cost of running your household has become difficult to manage.

  • · Checking what support, grants and reductions you may be able to apply for
  • · Completing household, council and benefit-related forms accurately
  • · Organising bills, letters and evidence so nothing is missed
Learn more Register with us

Housing Repairs and Living Conditions

Support to report and follow up repairs and conditions in your home in a clear, evidenced way.

  • · Reporting repairs and keeping a dated record of every contact
  • · Preparing photographs, timelines and correspondence as evidence
  • · Escalating through the landlord's complaints process, or referring you to a housing specialist
Learn more Register with us

Digital Access and Online Applications

Hands-on help with the online accounts, portals and applications that everyday life now depends on.

  • · Setting up and recovering online accounts, passwords and ID verification
  • · Completing online applications and uploading documents correctly
  • · NHS App, council portals and staying safe online
Learn more Register with us

Identity Theft, Fraud and Identity Protection

Structured support when your identity or personal details have been used without your consent.

  • · Building an evidence timeline and securing your post and accounts
  • · Accessing and reviewing your credit reports
  • · Reporting to Action Fraud and supporting a Cifas protective registration
Learn more Register with us

Start here

Start here

Our Information, Advice & Guidance service is practical, one-to-one help with the everyday admin that holds people back — forms and applications, letters and emails, online and digital services, contacting organisations, CVs and job applications, and plain-English explanations of what is being asked of you. Where an issue needs regulated or specialist advice, we refer you to someone qualified.

Most people need one short piece of help; some need a bespoke package of support across several organisations. Our support packages are set out above — you can choose one, or simply tell us what is happening and we will recommend the right route.

Membership is optional and starts at £99 a year for an individual, £149 for a single-parent family and £199 for a family. You get your own portal with cases, documents and certificates, priority booking, training discounts, member workshops and community events — plus one complimentary one-hour session and the £25 hourly rate for every eligible person registered under the membership. Registering free as a service user is the same form; just choose which one you want.

Application form

One form for everyone. Choose below whether you are registering as a free service user or joining as an Ubuntu Member, and the rest of the form adjusts. Appointments are £55 for service users and £25 for members. The equality questions are optional, they help us show funders who we reach.

1. Choose your membership

Annual membership fee: £99. Paid once a year. It includes one complimentary one-hour IAG session, then IAG support is £25 an hour for every eligible person registered under the membership.

Choose family if we may support other people in your home — you can then add each person below.

2. Your details

3. About you

We must collect this information — it is confidential, and funders and regulators require us to report on who we reach (anonymously). You can choose “Prefer not to say” for any question.

4. What are you interested in?

Tick everything that applies — training, opportunities and support you would like from us now or in the future.

5. What kind of support do you need?

The practical help you want from us, so we can match you with the right adviser.

Please note: we do not provide legal advice or representation, immigration advice, or help securing new private, social or council housing. Depending on what comes out of your session we can recommend or refer you to partner organisations such as solicitors, accountants, housing teams or debt advice services, but we do not provide those services ourselves.

Eligibility acknowledgement

Where we cannot help directly, we will offer a referral to a partner organisation instead.

Photography, Video and Audio Consent

Ubuntu Pledge may take photographs and make video or audio recordings to document our activities and demonstrate the impact of our work. These materials may be used on our website, social media, reports, presentations, printed materials and communications with partners or funders.

Consent is voluntary and will not affect the support you receive. You may withdraw your consent for future use at any time by contacting info@ubuntupledge.com. Further information is available in our Privacy Notice.

Fields marked * are required. Everything else is optional.

Your answers save automatically on this device as you type.

This helps us keep automated messages out.

Pricing

Clear, simple and based on time. Start with a free 10-minute service check. IAG assessments and support are £55 per hour pay as you go and £25 per hour for Ubuntu Members. Where a situation requires ongoing support, we assess the complexity, estimate the time and agree the maximum cost with you before continuing.

Start with a free service check

Free

Up to 10 minutes

A short conversation so we can tell you whether we are the right service — and who is, if we are not.

Pay as you go

£55 / hour

£25 an hour for Ubuntu Members and their registered family

No membership required. Registering is free, every new matter starts with a free 10-minute assessment, and we estimate the time and cost before any work begins.

Urgent / priority

£150 / hour

Subject to availability

For urgent matters that need to be seen on the same working day. Anything involving immediate danger goes to the emergency services.

Individual

£99 / year

One registered adult

For an individual who wants affordable access to ongoing support. First one-hour IAG session included, then £25 an hour.

Single-Parent Family

£149 / year

One parent or guardian and registered dependent children

IAG support throughout the year for every registered family member at £25 an hour. One complimentary hour with the membership.

Family

£199 / year

Two parents or guardians and registered dependent children

For households where more than one family member may need support. Every registered member gets £25 an hour. One complimentary hour with the membership.

What membership gives you

· Priority booking on appointments

· Your own secure online portal

· Access to your case records and outcomes

· Secure access to your documents

· Certificates and training history in one place

· Discounts on training programmes

· Member-only workshops

· One family record for the whole household

· Community events and opportunities

· Regular digital-confidence support

Members save £30 on every hour of IAG support, and the member rate applies to every eligible person registered under an active membership, but membership is really about year-round access rather than a single saving.

How it works

Seven steps, in order. You give us the minimum to get started, and nothing is charged until you have approved the time and the price.

  1. 1

    Complete a free service check

    Ten minutes, no charge. We confirm whether Ubuntu Pledge is the right service for your enquiry.

  2. 2

    Register as a service user or member

    Registering as a service user is free. Membership is optional and gives you a portal and the member rate.

  3. 3

    Attend your assessment

    Up to 60 minutes in W10, online or by phone. We establish what has happened and the outcome you want.

  4. 4

    Receive your support level and action plan

    We score five factors, give your case a Case Support Level out of ten and write down the agreed actions.

  5. 5

    Approve the proposed time and price

    You see the estimated hours and the maximum cost, and approve the work before it starts.

  6. 6

    Receive support or a specialist referral

    We do the work with you, and refer anything regulated or specialist to a qualified service.

  7. 7

    Review the outcome

    Work completed, time used, outstanding actions and whether any further block of support is needed.

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Registered service user, or Ubuntu member?

Everyone we support is registered with us as a service user. That is free, and after your service check a member of staff completes the record with you, so you never face a long form on your own. Membership is optional and gives you a portal, your records and priority booking all year round.

Register as a service user See membership

Which one am I?

  • Registered service user — free. Pay as you go at £55 an hour. We keep your case records; you contact us when you need us.
  • Ubuntu member — from £99 a year. Your own portal with cases, documents and certificates, priority booking, training discounts, member workshops and community events. Membership starts at £99 a year and covers your registered family, so IAG support is £25 an hour — a £30 discount on every hour.
  • Training participant. Enrolled on one of our programmes; your attendance and certificates sit on your record.
  • Referred by a partner. A partner organisation sent us your details with your consent; we contact you to arrange the check.