Supportline

If you’ve been affected by crime and you need confidential support or information, call our Supportline for free on 08 08 16 89 111.

You can dial 141 to hide your number, but please check with your network provider as this doesn’t work on some mobile networks.

Our Supportline operates 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas.

We’re independent of the police and anyone can contact us for support, regardless of whether the crime has been reported or how long ago it took place.

Please note that we can only offer support to people in England and Wales.

Not ready to call?

You can talk to us now via our free and 24/7 live chat.

You can also create an account on My Support Space – a free online resource containing interactive guides and information to help you manage the impact crime has had on you.

Supportline has an interpretation service for people who do not speak English as a first language. When you call us, request an interpreter and you can speak to us in the language you’re most comfortable in.

Relay UK is a free service to help deaf people and those who have hearing loss or are speech impaired to communicate over the phone. You can contact any number through Relay UK, including any Victim Support service.

What Relay UK is

If you are deaf, have hearing loss or are speech impaired, Relay UK can connect you to a relay assistant to make a phone call. The relay assistant can:

  • type what the caller is saying so you can read their responses, if you can’t hear
  • reads your written responses to the caller, if you can’t speak.

It’s free to use the Relay UK service. You will only pay your normal charges for any calls you make. Check with your phone provider for more details.

Using the Relay UK app

Relay UK works through an app on your smartphone or tablet. Once you have downloaded it, you will need to link your number to it and tell the app how you would like to use the service.

Find out more about Relay UK and download the app.

We’ve partnered with interpreting service SignLive, so deaf and hearing-impaired people can contact us using British Sign Language (BSL).

This service will connect you to a professional BSL interpreter and you can tell them you want to contact one of Victim Support’s services. This service is free and you can find out more here.

You can complete our secure online form to request support.

If you can’t get through to our Supportline, the Victims’ Information Service is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except bank holidays), and fully trained staff can offer you information about Victim Support services and useful information about the criminal justice system. You can call the Victims’ Information Service for free on 0808 168 9293.

Alternatively, if you’re having problems getting through to us at busy times and you need to talk to someone urgently to get support, you can also call the Samaritans for free on 116 123 (open 24 hours) or email jo@samaritans.org.

Supportline is our free national telephone helpline which, in 2020-2021, took 37,895 calls. Supportline is there for you if you have been affected by crime and is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. You can talk to our fully trained Supportline staff in confidence (and anonymously if you prefer), and they can explain more about the range of services Victim Support provides, together with our confidentiality policy.

We offer immediate emotional support as well as helpful information and practical advice over the phone. Our Supportline teams can put you in touch with our local services near to where you live, so that you can get ongoing support. They can also give you helpful information about other organisations that may be able to offer you specialist support.

We’re just a phone call away, and because it’s just a phone call, you’re in total control – you can end the call at any time, and no one needs to know who you are, or where you’re calling from, unless you want them to.

Find your local victim service

Contact your local service.

Request support

Complete our online form to request support.