We know that times are extremely hard at the moment, the pandemic is putting a strain on many families and residents within Cheshire West and Chester, and beyond.
There is a wide range of support available to you as parents across the borough which can help you if you feel that you may need it. For those parents who have children that receive benefit related free school meals funding from the Winter Grant Scheme has been provided to local schools to be used over the spring break. If you need support please contact your child's school for further information.
The Council is working with other agencies to support residents and businesses in west Cheshire. The pages cover:
- Dedicated helpline for people who need support
- Clinically Extremely Vulnerable - shielding guidance
- Winter Grant Scheme
- Support and advice on council tax
- Domestic abuse advice and support
- Support for businesses and employers
- Coping with coronavirus
- NHS bereavement advice and support
- Test and Trace support payment
How to get help
If you need help with food shopping or are looking for details about other practical support available in your local area, visit Live Well Cheshire West.
Live Well Cheshire West
The Council is working closely with Edsential, Cheshire West Voluntary Action, the Welcome network and our targeted youth service colleagues to organise Holiday Activity provision for families over the upcoming Spring break. Activities sessions will include adventure play, dance, HIIT workouts, gardening, yoga, forest school, art and craft, online activities and more.
Edsential website
Funding from the Winter Grant Scheme has been provided to local schools to be used over the spring break to help families who have children that receive benefit related free school meals. If you need support please contact your child's school for further information or the HELP scheme.
The Welcome Network has pulled together details of the food and activity offers for families during the spring break which include Foodbank distribution points. All of the information can be found on a map on the Welcome Network website.
The Welcome Network
If you are having difficulty contacting any of the groups, or if there isn't something suitable or local to you please email: hello@welcomenet.co.uk and one of the team will link you to the support you need.
The HELP scheme is a discretionary scheme offering local welfare assistance including:
- support for exceptional needs
- limited payments for emergency funding in a crisis or;
- to help people moving out of care
Any awards which are made are conditional. With you accepting any support from us that we consider you need. All awards are subject to a means test, which means we will look at your income and expenditure. This includes income that is available to you, including income we usually ignore when looking at your claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction.
Funding will be made on a one-off basis and will be restricted to one award in any 12 month period. Normally awards will be restricted to provide help with food vouchers or recycled goods.
Help in Emergencies for Local People (HELP)
If you are unable to buy food, then food aid is available from the Foodbank.
The most important step is to get a foodbank referral. You will need to get a referral by telephoning or emailing someone who can do this for you.
If you cannot get out to collect your food, then please mention this to the person making your referral for you and they will make the arrangements for food to be delivered if this is at all possible.
If you have no food and cannot contact a referrer, please call the West Cheshire Foodbank office.
Covering Mid-Cheshire (South of M56) includes Winsford, Knutsford, Northwich and surrounding villages.
If you are unable to buy food, then food aid is available from the Foodbank.
The most important step is to get a foodbank voucher.
In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation, Mid Cheshire Foodbank work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis. Agencies the foodbank work with include: Citizens Advice, housing support officers, children’s centres, health visitors, social services and some local charities.
Get in touch with the foodbank via phone or email and they can talk through your situation and put you in touch with a relevant local agency to obtain a voucher. Once you are in touch with a local agency, they will discuss your situation and supply you with a foodbank voucher where appropriate.
If you are unable to buy food, then food aid is available from the Foodbank.
The most important step is to get a foodbank voucher.
In order to provide the most appropriate help for the circumstances of your situation, Mid Cheshire Foodbank work with local agencies. If they feel you are struggling to put food on the table, they will issue you with a foodbank voucher. The local agency can also provide long term support if needed to help address some of the issues behind the reasons for your crisis. Agencies the foodbank work with include: Citizens Advice, housing support officers, children’s centres, health visitors, social services and some local charities.
Get in touch with the foodbank via phone or email and they can talk through your situation and put you in touch with a relevant local agency to obtain a voucher. Once you are in touch with a local agency, they will discuss your situation and supply you with a foodbank voucher where appropriate.
Payments of £500 can be made when somebody who is working loses pay because they are told to isolate when they have COVID-19 symptoms or they have been in contact with somebody with symptoms and are told to isolate by test and trace. From 8 March 2021 parents who are unable to work from home can also apply if their child is required to isolate and they have caring responsibilities.
The Council Tax Reduction Scheme provides financial support for people who are on a low income and need help to pay their Council Tax. There is a discretionary fund alongside the main scheme.
The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme is available to help people who receive Universal Credit or Housing Benefit where the amount awarded in benefits does not pay their full rent. This scheme can help with the shortfall in some circumstances or can help people on benefits with rent in advance to secure a property.
Homeless2Housed is a short-term project providing support for people who are at risk of losing their home or who are unable to secure a property. The Homeless2Housed team can sometimes help with rent arrears and rent in advance. Contact them initially by emailing: H2H@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
If you are affected by coronavirus or its effect on the economy, there is a wide range of support available.
The Understanding Universal Credit website provides information about the changes the government has brought in to support people who are already claiming benefits, need to claim benefits, or are at risk of losing their job as a result of coronavirus. To find information you need about Universal Credit and other benefits:
Universal Credit (UC) - If you have any queries please use your UC journal to make contact, if you have a change in circumstances please report this on your home page. If you are unable to access your digital account, please contact 0800 328 5644. There may be a longer waiting time than usual on the telephony service as they are experiencing high call levels.
Legacy benefits - If you claim Job seekers Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) please contact your relevant benefit on 0800 169 0310 if you have any queries. Please listen carefully as the options may have changed since you last rang.
You can contact your local jobcentre by ringing 0800 169 0190 and you will be put through to/or a message passed to your local jobcentre. Jobcentres are limiting the number of people allowed in the offices during COVID-19 so please only attend a jobcentre if you have a booked face to face appointment or have no other way of contacting Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Local jobcentres can support with both ensuring you receive the correct benefit to support you whilst you are looking for work and if your circumstances mean you are currently unable to look for work. They can provide advice and sign posting to local support organisations. They work closely with both partners and providers to offer a range of training that is relevant to the local economy and is most likely to enable customers to gain skills to return to work.
The website highlights the range of support and advice on offer to help jobseekers find jobs, and employers get the people they need, all in one place.
Jobhelp is a good place to start if you are looking for work. Despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak, there are still jobs out there to apply to. Jobhelp are there to help you get started.
Their website provides a range of support.
You can also find hints and tips on applying for jobs and ideas about jobs you may never have thought of. And for the latest vacancies, check the latest jobs page or search the Find a job (external website) service.
The Live Well Cheshire West site provides a range of support for a range of different money related matters, including:
- Budgeting, banking and managing money
- Money and benefits
- Paying for care
- Grants and funds
- Debt
- Help in a crisis
Live Well Cheshire West
Free, impartial advice and information on a range of issues. Advice is independent and completely confidential. Information to help you make the right choices if you are in debt. Such as how to avoid losing your home and how to get your finances back into shape. Help can include:
- working out how much money you owe and the debts you should pay back first
- budgeting your bills
- getting a bank account
- starting a pension
- dealing with creditors
- gambling advice and/or problems with tax
The Citizens Advice Bureau has also received £25,000 from the Winter Grant Scheme fund to cover payments made through their Fuelbank.
For further information:
Some children and adults could be facing increased risks as we are all asked to stay at home more due to COVID-19. We are here to help you. It is important you know you're not alone. The Council is continuing to work with other agencies to offer you support and encourage you to make contact when out on an essential trip (like shopping) to ask for help.
Open the Door signposts to local and national help, encouraging people to start a conversation about domestic abuse and bring it out from behind closed doors.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger call 999.
Domestic abuse
The Live Well website provides various resources about supporting children and young people during the lockdown including a section on mental health and wellbeing.
Live Well Cheshire West
Anyone struggling with their mental health can call the Cheshire West Mental Health Crisis Helpline on: 0800 145 6485. This is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for adults, children and young people.
Each day throughout the Easter break our library service will be posting crafts, simple cookery demonstrations, book suggestions and storytimes on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The craft sessions will be inspired by spring and will incorporate items that can be found around the home as well as recyclable materials. As always, the team would love to see what you and your children make, so please share photos of any creations on our social media pages.
You can also email your photos to the team at libraryevents@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk and your children will be entered into a prize draw to win a special spring themed prize (please include the first name and age of your child in the email). Prizes include seed bombs, books and bee tubes.