Samaritans has launched a new free-to-call UK helpline number which will not show up in a user’s phone bill, in a landmark change for the charity.

Support charity Samaritans said the free helpline was able to come about following funding from the Big Lottery Fund and support from Vodafone, and the co-operation of major telecommunications companies.

The charity say the new free number, which was launched this week, will enable more people who may be struggling to cope access its services. It said that people in the lowest social economic groups, living in the most deprived areas, are ten times more likely to die by suicide than those from more affluent areas, so the financial implications of accessing help can be significant.

Ruth Sutherland (pictured), chief executive of Samaritans, said: “It has long been an aspiration for Samaritans to make our helpline number free to callers, so this is a really positive step in improving access to our life-saving support. We know that call charges can be a barrier to accessing our service, potentially preventing some people from contacting Samaritans when they need us most.”

Previously people contacting the helpline had to pay for the cost of the call, and the call was listed as a phone number on a user’s phone bill.

Peter Ainsworth, chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “We are delighted to have helped bring about this important development, which will make Samaritans’ service available to all. This is a great example of what partnership working can achieve by ensuring this hugely valuable charity’s helpline will be free of charge to all callers.”

The new free helpline number, which is available 24/7, is 116 123.