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The Suffolk County council can provide emergency assistance to residents facing exceptional financial circumstances, and the main programme available is the Local Welfare Assistance scheme. With the cutbacks in government funding, priority for any vouchers or grants is for the most vulnerable that have a health or safety issue, such as lack of food or that are threatened with fuel poverty.

The scheme is provided at the discretion of the council, and they can refuse awards and no person is guaranteed to get help from the council. The funds are also very limited, and will often run out each year. The central government allots money to the county, and this amount can change each year.

Welfare application process and uses of funds in Suffolk

As resources allow, assistance from the council can cover food parcels, bedding, nappies for babies, and clothing. Another aim of the welfare scheme is to help the individual gain independence, so referrals will be offered to counselling and credit agencies. Welfare can help the vulnerable make it through a crisis while they address the cause of it.

In order to apply for help, all requests need to go through local Gateway organisations, and this is a requirement for the any welfare assistance. Some of the main agencies to call include the Salvation Army, Sanctuary HA, Julian Support, Community Mental Health teams, and Open Housing. The social workers from those Gateway not-for-profits will give an interview and assessment and determine, in partnership with the Suffolk County Council, if an individual is eligible.

The council also help with rent deposit – housing needs. It can be for those seeking to resettle. Or a Suffolk resident who leaves homeless. Welfare can provide free furniture, and the Ipswich rent deposit scheme can provide the funds to pay landlords or private housing.

The Local Welfare Assistance scheme is for addressing one off financial hardships, and any aid is only for people that are out of all other options. One of the most common uses is to provide food to the low income. This aid is not for assisting people waiting on benefits or other government aid, however help for those people is possible from Short-term Benefit Advances, and more information on that is below.

To get more information on the welfare scheme, call one of the Gateway organisations. If a referral is needed or that is not possible, then customer support specialists from the council can provide advice, and the telephone is 08456 066 067, or drop in at Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich.

Additional financial help in Suffolk

There is other financial help provide too. Residents waiting on aid from the government can apply for advances during that period of time. These are available from the Suffolk County council in partnership with DWP, and is really for people that have made a claim for any type of benefit, including the Universal Credit. There are also eligibility requirements in order to get help from STBA, and the applicant also needs to be in need and facing a safety issue, such as they need assistance staying warm in the winter or they are out of food.

During the winter, there is heating and fuel bill help from the big 6 suppliers as well as council. This will be in additional to the local welfare scheme. Many pensioners, older people, and those in fuel poverty often go into arrears on their energy bills during the winter. This is where additional support is needed, and find heating bill help.

Applications for a claim are processed at a local Jobcentre Plus, or call 08456 088618. Staff at the office can also give more information on the process. If found to be eligible, any funds are advanced to the applicant, and they need to repaid over time. So it is a form of a loan, but it is provided at no-interest to the resident. The money can be used for the payment of a number of living expenses, ranging from rent arrears to fuel bills or food.