Stoke-on-Trent social fund welfare scheme

The local welfare provision in Stoke-on-Trent is known as the Social Fund. This is not the same scheme that was run in the past by the central government, but instead the council is using funds to provide emergency help to low income families at their discretion.

There may be awards for people in a Crisis situation, as well as more ongoing Community Planned Support. In either case, the resident will need to apply to the council and go through an assessment process. Some of the eligibility criteria or the social funds include the following.

• Applicants need to be local to Stoke-on-Trent.
• The individual or family needs to be on low income or benefits as well as have no access to savings.
• All people seeking help from welfare need to be age 16 or older.
• Priority is for the most vulnerable in a crisis, such as seniors or the disabled or lone parents.
• Proof of income, residency, and documentation is needed and the council will verify this.

There are other criteria as well for the welfare scheme. One key is that the residents needs to be out of options and applied for financial help from other schemes or charities first. They also can’t be in recurrence of poverty and the reason for crisis support needs to be due to a one-off emergency. The Fund will not support individuals if they have simply overspent their income or failed to budget properly. Also, help is only offered at most twice per year by the Stoke-on-Trent social fund.

Crisis Support from Stoke-on-Trent

This is for people with a health or safety need. The council will make a determination of what qualifies, but this may be for families that are facing hunger as they do not have food, or there are funds for heating bills during the cold winter months. Or it can be for victims of domestic violence or the death of a family member and the resulting loss of income. So it is a crisis type support.

If found to be eligible, the council will communicate any awarded provided by the social fund welfare scheme. Vouchers or some type of grant will be issued for the following.

• Heating or gas bill help – This will be emergency credit on pre-payment fuel meters.
• Families in hunger may be given a free food parcel or voucher to a place to receive one from.
• Advice on keeping heat on, especially for the elderly. Customer support will explore options with the claimant as well, and find additional help for gas bills.
• Other uses of welfare funds can be for travel, clothing in a crisis, or safety issues.

Cash will not be provided in the city of Stoke-on-Trent. In lieu of that, if the person needs utilities such as gas or heat, they will be provided a grant to use at a local PayPoint outlet to top up a fuel card. Or, if the person is hungry, they are given food vouchers or a foodbank referral to centres such as Trussell Trust.

Assistance from Community Planned Support

This will help families or individuals either remain living in the city, or resettle. The aim is to provide short term help so the household can stabilize their situation. The social fund has many of the same eligibility conditions, such as the person needs to be on a low income, facing a crisis, and be out of options.

For residents that are eligible for financial aid, they can be provided with a number of goods, or in some cases assistance from deposit schemes or referrals to programmes such as Discretionary Housing Payments in Stoke-on-Trent or the Staffordshire Council. Examples of support from the scheme as is follows.

• White goods may be provided as well as delivered to tenants or the formerly homeless. This may be washing machine, a cooker, fridge, freezer, heating appliances and more.
• Furniture and household items, such as beds or kitchen supplies.
• Electric connection fees can be paid from grants as part of the Stoke-on-Trent social fund.

A priority of Community Planned Support is on helping people either stay in the city, or resettle to it from home care or other locations. Any type of financial help for housing or related payments is also made at the discretion of the council, and no one is entitled to an award.

For more information, or to apply, call 01782 238888. This line can also address emergencies, such as lack of heat. Or residents can use freephones that are located across the city of Stoke-on-Trent. Not only will people be able to apply for the social funds, but free advice on everything from budgeting to job training can be arranged too.