More guides, plans and tools
Help for people who need extra support, plans and paperwork, neighbours, home safety, winter money help, local pages, and advice for the USA and Europe.
The survival sections
People who need extra help
- Babies and young children: formula, nappies and calmPlanning for a baby or toddler in a UK power cut or emergency: what the NHS says about ready-to-feed and powdered formula, sterilising, signs a baby…
- Helping older and disabled relatives prepare: the Priority Services Register and a check-in planWhat the Priority Services Register gives older and disabled people, how to sign up, a plan for medical equipment and telecare in a power cut, and a…
- Pets in an emergency: food, carriers, floods and falloutA UK pet emergency list from GOV.UK Be Ready, PDSA, RSPCA and UKHSA: a week of sealed food, water, medicines, carrier, microchip details, what to do…
- Emergency alarms for older people: pendants, fall alarms and GPS alarms comparedThe main types of personal alarm for older people, what Which? found they typically cost, how to get one through the council, what to ask about power…
- Emergency kit for an elderly parent: a calm, practical listStart with the GOV.UK Be Ready list (3 days of water at 3 litres per person per day, no-cook food, a torch, an FM radio, a power bank, cash,…
- Emergency planning for disabled people and carersGOV.UK Be Ready's advice for disabled people is to tell your support network what you'd need in an emergency, join the Priority Services Register,…
- Emergency planning for older people and carers (UK)For older people and carers, an emergency plan means joining the free Priority Services Register with your energy and water companies, writing down…
- Emergency planning with a baby or toddler (UK)GOV.UK's Be Ready checklist says to keep baby formula, nappies and wipes in your 3-day kit. The NHS says powdered formula isn't sterile and must be…
- A hospital bag for an elderly parent: what to packAn NHS hospital's what-to-bring list is a good base for a ready-packed bag: your admission letter if you have one, GP name and address, full…
- Message in a Bottle: the medical details kept in your fridgeMessage in a Bottle is a Lions Clubs scheme. You fill in a form with your personal and medical details and keep it in a bottle in the fridge. Green…
- Pet emergency plan UK: a checklist for dogs, cats and small petsA pet emergency plan means keeping your pet's microchip details up to date, packing a small kit (food, water, medicines, lead or carrier, and records…
- Priority Services Register: a plain guideThe Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free service in England, Scotland and Wales that gives extra help when your power, gas or water is…
- Talking to children about emergencies, calmlyGOV.UK Be Ready asks parents to talk to children about emergencies, including when and how to call 999, to practise their home address and a parent's…
- Practical Christmas gifts for elderly parentsPractical gifts for older parents help at home when the lights go out or something goes wrong: a torch, a battery or wind-up radio, a power bank, a…
Plans and paperwork
- The Be Ready household emergency plan: how to fill it in, page by pageGOV.UK Be Ready's free household emergency plan is an 8-page form you download, fill in, discuss with the people you live with, and keep somewhere…
- How to make a household emergency plan (UK template)Yes: a free printable UK household emergency plan template is on this page: one A4 page, no email needed. GOV.UK's Be Ready campaign also publishes a…
- Emergency contacts list template (UK)A good UK emergency contacts list has the national numbers (999 or 112, NHS 111, police 101, power cuts 105, gas emergencies 0800 111 999), your…
- ICE card: a free In Case of Emergency card, and your phone's emergency infoAn ICE (In Case of Emergency) card is a small card in your wallet or bag with who to contact and any medical details a helper should know, in case…
- The 'if something happens to me' file: what to includeAn 'if something happens to me' file is a written record of where your important documents, accounts, policies and bills are, who should be told, and…
- Keeping household documents safe and to handKeep originals of passports, driving licences, birth certificates, insurance, tenancy or mortgage papers and vehicle documents together in one known…
Neighbours and community
- Prepping with your neighbours: a street plan that worksWhat GOV.UK Be Ready asks of neighbours, how to set up a street group chat and a paper contact list, who to check on first, a simple skills and kit…
- A street emergency plan: how neighbours can help each otherA street emergency plan is a short agreement between neighbours about how you'll keep in touch and check on each other in storms, snow or power cuts.…
- A community emergency plan: the official template and how to use itThe Cabinet Office publishes a free community emergency plan toolkit and template on GOV.UK. The toolkit walks a group through three steps: planning,…
- How to help in an emergency: volunteering, donating and checking on neighboursGOV.UK Be Ready's 'Play your part' advice is to get to know your neighbours and swap contact details, plan to check on people who may need help (in…
- A one-page business continuity plan for a small businessThe UK government's Business Continuity Management Toolkit, written for small and medium organisations, asks four questions: what are your key…
Home safety: fire, gas and carbon monoxide
- Carbon monoxide at home: signs, alarms and what to doThe NHS lists the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning as headache, dizziness, feeling or being sick, weakness, tiredness and confusion, chest or…
- Heat alarm or smoke alarm? Which alarms your home needsFit a smoke alarm on every floor, ideally in a hallway or landing, and a heat alarm in the kitchen, where steam and cooking fumes set smoke alarms…
- After a house fire: a calm checklist for the first 48 hoursAfter a house fire, don't go back in until the fire and rescue service says it's safe. Ask the incident commander for your incident number and which…
Money help in winter
- Cold Weather Payment 2026/27: who gets it and how muchCold Weather Payment is £25 for each 7-day period when the average temperature in your area is recorded or forecast at 0°C or below, between 1…
- Warm Home Discount 2026/27: who qualifies and when you get itThe Warm Home Discount is a one-off £150 discount on your electricity bill for winter 2026/27. In England and Wales you usually get it automatically…
- Winter Fuel Payment 2026/27: who gets it, how much and whenFor winter 2026/27, Winter Fuel Payment is £100 to £300 if you were born on or before 27 June 1960 and usually live in England, Wales or Northern…
Local area pages
- Cumbria emergency planning: who to contact and how to get readyIn Cumbria, emergency planning is led by the Cumbria Resilience Forum (the county's Local Resilience Forum), which runs the Cumbria Prepared website…
- Greater Manchester emergency planning: who to contact and how to get readyGreater Manchester's emergency planning is coordinated by the Greater Manchester Resilience Forum, chaired by Greater Manchester Police, with support…
- Kent emergency planning: who to contact and how to get readyKent and Medway are covered by the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum, which runs the Kent Prepared website. Its 2026 Community Risk Register rates…
- North Yorkshire emergency planning: who to contact and how to get readyYork and North Yorkshire are covered by the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, whose 2025 Community Risk Register focuses on severe weather,…
- Somerset emergency planning: who to contact and how to get readySomerset is covered by the Avon and Somerset Local Resilience Forum, whose 2026 Community Risk Register lists flooding, extreme weather, animal…
Outside the UK: USA and Europe
- Why is everyone prepping right now?US searches for prepping hit a five-year high in late October 2026. What that data shows and doesn't show, what Ready.gov and the CDC actually ask…
- What to stock up on in case of war: a calm US list, without panic buyingThere's no official US 'war' shopping list. What exists is Ready.gov's disaster supplies kit and its nuclear explosion advice. Here's that list in…
- Can women be drafted in the US? What the law says now, and what changes in December 2026US law requires men aged 18 to 26 to register with the Selective Service, not women. Registration becomes automatic for men from 18 December 2026. No…
- Emergency preparedness for American households: a calm guideEmergency preparedness for a US household comes down to a few calm steps: know which hazards affect your area, make a family emergency plan, build a…
- 72-hour kit checklist: what to keep at homeA 72-hour kit is a supply of water, food and basics to look after your household for at least three days after a disaster. Ready.gov's basic kit…
- What to put in an emergency binder (household documents)An emergency binder holds copies of the documents and contacts you'd need to prove who you are, reach your insurer and bank, and apply for help after…
- How to make a family emergency plan (with a filled-in example)A family emergency plan records how your household will get alerts, where you'll shelter, how you'd evacuate, and how you'll reach each other if…
- Go bag checklist: what to pack if you have to evacuateA go bag is a ready-packed bag of essentials you can carry if you're told to evacuate, including on foot or public transportation. Based on…
- Hurricane preparedness: kit, zones and checklists (USA)A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or more) are possible, issued 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are…
- Power outage preparedness: a household kit and plan (USA)Ready.gov advises keeping a flashlight for every household member, backup power for anything that needs electricity, nonperishable food and water,…
- Europe's 72-hour preparedness advice, country by countryThe European Commission's Preparedness Union Strategy (March 2025) commits the EU to guidelines for population self-sufficiency of at least 72 hours.…
- Driving in Europe: a kit and documents checklist for UK driversWhat UK drivers need to take to drive in France, Spain, Germany and the rest of Europe: licence, log book, insurance, UK sticker, reflective jackets,…