Helpline

Yes – the Helpline is completely free from all UK landlines and mobiles.

People call us for all sorts of reasons. Here are some things you might want to talk to us about:

• How you’re feeling i.e. angry, tired or anxious
• How you’re feeling physically i.e. lack of appetite, lack of concentration or sleeplessness
• How the person died
• How you’re coping
• Your relationships to other people after death
• How to talk to children or young people about death

Whilst we aren’t here to tell you what to do in your situation, we are here to listen, to let you talk and offload, and help you find ways to adapt and cope with your situation. We can also tell you about the other services Cruse offers, as well as other organisations that might be able to provide the kind of support you’re looking for. 

There are a few things we aren’t able to provide direct advice or guidance on, simply because our volunteers are not trained in these things. These are:

• Financial issues 
• Medical concerns, symptoms or procedures
• Legal issues

We don’t put a time limit on Helpline calls. But from experience we know that talking about difficult situations and emotions can be tiring. So our volunteers might suggest you round off the call so you can have time to reflect and rest. You are always welcome to call us back at another time. 

You are more than welcome to call us any time you need us. You probably won’t speak to the same volunteer if you call again, but all our volunteers are trained in the same way and are able to provide the same levels of support. 

If you find the support on the Helpline helpful, you may want to consider getting some ongoing support from one our local Cruse branches. There you can access one-to-one or group support, where you will get the chance to talk to the same Bereavement Volunteer over a number of scheduled sessions.

We’re sorry you can’t get through to us at the moment. We’re getting a lot more calls than usual and we’re really sorry if we can’t answer you straight away. 

We would suggest that calling when we first open at 9.30 or from 1-2pm might shorten waiting times due to lower waiting times at these points in the day.

That’s up to you. If you would like to find out more about ongoing support you can contact your local Cruse area. They will be able to let you know how you can join group support or start seeing someone one-to-one locally. 

If you would like to speak to someone more immediately about how you’re feeling, you can call the Helpline. We’re also happy to talk to you about what Cruse does if you have any questions about our services.

Everything you tell us is kept confidential. Unless you were to tell us anything that suggested that your or someone else was in danger.

We will always try to tell you first if we think we need to share your information with anyone else. We would only share your information with relevant authorities, like the emergency services.

There isn’t a minimum age on who can call the Helpline – we’re here for you no matter how old you are.