FAMILIES in Warwickshire who are facing unavoidable hardship are being urged to reach out for help from the council’s Local Welfare Scheme, which can put them in touch with a wide range of support.
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is spreading the word that it is continuing to support families in need during this period of lockdown and school closures.
The Local Welfare Scheme, which has been in place for a number of years, provides financial and practical assistance to help families and individuals in crisis access food, heating and essential items when they have no other means of help.
It connects people with immediate support available from other public, community and voluntary services around the county and services which provide longer term solutions – including debt and money management advice, family information and support, help to access food and household essentials, and local emotional health and wellbeing services.
The Scheme also administers Warwickshire’s share of the government’s Covid-19 Winter Grant Scheme, which has been used in the county to support children, families and the most vulnerable over winter with proactive support given to families eligible for benefits-related free school meals.
WCC’s spokeswoman for environment, heritage and culture Coun Heather Timms said: “The council’s Local Welfare Scheme offers support to those in unavoidable crisis with no other means of help, either directly or through extensive links with a range of support services in the county.
“We have been working tirelessly with the district and borough councils, voluntary groups, foodbanks and others since the start of the pandemic to ensure we can do our best to assist vulnerable residents.
“I strongly encourage people who are struggling right now to look online and get in touch, either for themselves or on behalf of someone else, to find out what help there is.”
Further support continues to be invested in a number of areas including specific food projects, food for the homeless, food banks, and supporting infrastructure, and this work will continue through the Warwickshire Food Forum.
Visit www.warwickshire.go.uk/localwelfarescheme or www.warwickshire.gov.uk/facinghardship or call 0800 408 1448 or 01926 359182 to find out more or apply for support.
