Warwickshire County Council continues to help local families and individuals facing hardship over the next few months.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently announced that the COVID Local Support Grant would be extended for one final time, beyond the planned ending of restrictions, to help families get back on their feet as the economy recovers and the vaccine rollout continues.
Additional funding has been allocated to every council for families with children, other vulnerable households and individuals to ensure that people who are struggling have the support they need for food, essential items, and utilities.
Warwickshire’s share of the Government grant is £1.322m and the council will be distributing the latest allocation of the COVID Local Support Grant to families eligible for benefits related free school meals and others in need of support over the period when schools are closed for the summer.
The grant will be administered for the fifth time by Warwickshire’s well-established Local Welfare Scheme, which is there for the county’s most vulnerable residents at times of unavoidable crisis. The Scheme provides financial assistance and advice for people to meet the costs of food, energy and other essentials and signposts to further help available from other services across the county.
The Local Welfare Scheme and the grant has offered a lifeline to thousands of people, helping them to afford to keep their families fed and warm during this period of prolonged uncertainty and strain.
A Warwickshire parent in receipt of help from the scheme said: “The Local Welfare Scheme is offering a brilliant and amazing service, which really helps families like mine.”
Ensuring people can afford food during the breaks from school supports children’s mental and physical health and development which will put them in a good position to learn when they return to school in September. This is particularly important given the impact of the COVID-19 on education and supports other council initiatives such as the provision of around 3,200 laptops and 1000 dongles to support home schooling early in the pandemic. This all contributes to the council’s efforts to help pupils catch-up on learning they may have missed.
Warwickshire County Councillor, Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture added: “More people are finding themselves facing hardship as the financial consequences of the pandemic are realised. Our Local Welfare Scheme has been able to offer help to many and the COVID Local Support Grant has enabled us to do even more.
“We are pleased that the additional COVID grant has been offered one final time enabling our Local Welfare Scheme to offer a little extra help over the coming months to families eligible for free school meals and others finding things hard financially. Throughout the pandemic we have collaborated with public, community and voluntary sector organisations to make sure those most in need have information and access to support and this will continue as we do all we can to make Warwickshire the best it can be.”
People can contact the Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme for a confidential discussion about their circumstance on 01926 359182 or 0800 408 1448. More information about the Scheme can be found at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/localwelfarescheme
For information about wider support from the council and other services, go to:
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/facinghardship