Charities and advice services
Samaritans phone numbers
Edited by Richard BarkerChecked 13 October 2026
Samaritans publishes 2 numbers for you to call on its own website. We list each one with the page it is on (1 page in all), a short quote from that page and the date we checked it.
Numbers to call Samaritans
What each line is for, as Samaritans describes it, with opening hours where it gives them.
- 0808 164 0123
You call them on this number
Welsh Language Line
Source: “is free to call. Call now 0808 164 0123” (opens in a new tab). Checked 13 October 2026.
- 116123
You call them on this number
Samaritans free helpline, 24 hours a day
Hours: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Source: “you can call us any time, from any phone for FREE. Call 116 123” (opens in a new tab). Checked 13 October 2026.
How scams that copy charities and advice services work
If a caller asks for a donation, you can hang up and give through the charity’s own website instead. If a caller asks for a code sent to your phone or access to your computer, hang up.
Ofcom says scammers can fake the number that appears on your phone, which is called spoofing, and that they imitate UK numbers to look like a trusted person or organisation. Knowing details about you does not make a caller genuine.
This could still be a scam call
Criminals can make their number look like a genuine one (this is called spoofing). If someone calls from this number and asks for money, bank details, a code or passwords, hang up. Then call Samaritans back on a number you've found yourself, such as the one on their own website or on a letter or bill from them.
Safe ways to check
- Samaritans's own contact page (opens in a new tab): Where this number is published.
- Report Fraud (opens in a new tab): Report fraud and cyber crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
- Forward scam texts to 7726 (opens in a new tab): It is free, and reports the message to your mobile provider.
- How number spoofing works: Why a genuine number on your screen does not prove who is calling.
Questions about Samaritans’s numbers
What numbers can I call Samaritans on?
Samaritans publishes 2 numbers for the public to call. They are: 0808 164 0123 (Welsh Language Line); 116123 (Samaritans free helpline, 24 hours a day). Check the source page for each one before you call, as numbers and opening hours change.
Does Samaritans publish a number on its own website that is not listed here? Suggest a number for Samaritans.
Sources and checks
This page relies on:
Checked on 13 October 2026. Read how we build the directory. How we check our information. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will put it right.