South Oxfordshire emergency Support Fund

There are two types of grants available from the South Oxfordshire Support Fund, and both of them are part of the government welfare scheme. Families that are on a low income or vulnerable can receive help with their bills from crisis grants or white goods as well as free food from care award grants. The assistance can be provided to the client either using a pre-paid card or in-kind items.

The welfare scheme is provided by the council, but other agencies such as the Oxford Community Work Agency (OCWA) can help people apply for a grant. There are other charities, such as Trussell Trust (which provides free food boxes) or Barton Advice Centre Project (which help with debts, local housing allowance, and more) that often work in partnership with the Support Fund.

If a client wants to learn if they are entitled to free prescriptions, or need to contact s dentist or get employment help, support is available. The aim of all these services is to help vulnerable people that are in a crisis and have no where else to turn to.

Any type of assistance is at the discretion of the council; no one is entitled to receiving support from the welfare scheme. The amount of money provides for programmes such as electric bills, transportation, or heating costs is allocated by the government each year. The funds can only help a small number of people that are local to South Oxfordshire.

The Barton Project has two different divisions. The one for the vulnerable is the Oxfordshire Welfare Rights group. The specialists give advice on applying for grants and help families that are in poverty get the entitlements they deserve. They can even represent the client at hearings with the council if need be.

The aim is to get the client financial help from one of the grants available. Those funds can then be used to pay for many different expenses, most of which are health/safety related. This means that the crisis grants can pay for heating bills in South Oxfordshire. Another use of the scheme is for transportation for a medical emergency or to provide white goods to keep a family safe and at home. Other support can also be arranged for food, rent deposits, medications, and more.

The Oxford Community Work Agency also gives money advice using the Barton Advice Centre. Offering a grant is often not enough. Many vulnerable people need additional assistance, whether it is counseling or advice on budgeting, to get out of poverty. The specialists from the Advice Centre do this by using a holistic approach for the client. The services address:
-Debt reduction for everything from payday to car loans.
-Employment and skills training.
-Clients in South Oxfordshire can learn how to budget and save money.
-Renters can get legal advice on tenancy agreements or home repossessions. Or if that does not meet their need, they can get free legal advice.
-Health and Social Care from Healthwatch, including access to dentists and free prescriptions.

Many other forms of Self Help are given too. The aim is to empower people so they can tackle problems themselves. All of this is offered either as part of welfare or the advice service.

To apply for the South Oxfordshire emergency Support Fund, families that are local to the town can try the council at 0330 123 9113. The number is available from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Another option is to go through an agency such as the Oxford Community Work Agency, which is also called the Barton Project. This charity has specialists on site that can provide advise on this welfare scheme as well as other benefits, such as housing, disability grants, and more.