Discretionary Welfare Scheme in Malvern Hills

Malvern Hills residents who are on benefits, Universal Credit, or a low income can get financial help for paying bills or other aid from the Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme. Some of the assistance in crisis grants or vouchers for energy bills, free food vouchers, white goods housing from settlement support, and budgeting advances among other forms of help. The council uses government funds or the support from charities to help the poor as part of the Welfare Assistance Scheme.

Settlement support in Malvern Hills

Welfare helps people who need a home to live in. It may be a homeless person leaving a shelter or hostel in Malvern Hills. Or there may be help for a resident leaving a hospital or residential care facility. The Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme will also assist immigrants or refugees too among others. Anyone with a housing challenge can apply for welfare.

Based on funding and need, settlement support may include both free white goods and/or bonds for paying rent deposits. Or there is help for electric deposits, fuel bills, and other energy bills that are tied to housing. The list of settlement support in Malvern Hills includes the following:

Free, new white goods – The council will not only give out free items, but they have people install them as well. Welfare can provide free freezers, cookers, washers, fridges, and other appliances. Applicants need to apply over the telephone. The local charity Armchair can give free furniture as well. Read more about free vouchers for white goods.

Financial help for housing – The Malvern Hills Discretionary Welfare Scheme also offers loans, bonds, or guarantee schemes. This can help someone on benefits pay rent deposits, electric or fuel bills, or other housing costs. The welfare scheme can top up utilities at paypoint stores in Malvern Hills.

The aim if settlement support is to stop homelessness. As too many people leaving a hospital, prison, nursing home, hostel or other facility struggle to pay the bills and rent or housing costs. Or they do not have the proper furniture or household appliances/white goods they need for a safe home. The Malvern Hills Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme is effective at stopping homelessness when someone is settling in the area.

Crisis financial help from Malvern Hills Welfare Scheme

This part of the Malvern Hills Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme is for short term, emergency needs. It covers 2 types of bills. They include food and energy bills. The welfare scheme will give a voucher to pay these bills.

The amount of crisis support is limited to at most one food and one energy voucher each year. Direct cash is not provided – rather the voucher will pay for some of a utility bill that is in arrears or provide a free food parcel that can contain several days of emergency food for a household.

Now any welfare vouchers can be combined with other central government schemes, but those take time to apply for. Examples include Universal Credit, Winter Fuel Bill Payment, credit union loans, Local Housing Allowance, and more. The Malvern Hills council welfare team can help with form filling for those benefits. Or learn about hardship payments and other aid.

Applying for welfare help in Malvern Hills

Note that residents can’t apply for welfare – they need to contact a third part organisation. Those agencies need to apply for the individual or family. Anyone on a low income or in a financial crisis can call or drop in at a local charity such as the Salvation Army, a support worker, care worker, homelessness support service including LHA, health professional such as a mental health worker or GRP or health visitor, children’s centre, or other not for profit. They can reach out to the council to apply at The Council House, Avenue Rd, Malvern WR14 3AF, telephone 1684 862151. The advantage of this approach is that other forms of financial aid, free food, health care and other needs can be covered too.