The local welfare assistance scheme helps people who are in financial crisis. This could be due to an emergency or other event that wasn’t expected.
The scheme can provide:
- food from foodbanks
- household items for people setting up a new home after a period of living in an institutional setting. It could also be following an unforeseen event
Local welfare assistance is a scheme for people with no other support to meet their needs.
Who can apply
To apply for assistance you must:
- be living in Barnsley and be a tenant, joint tenant or owner occupier of the address where you live
- be legally resident in the UK
- be aged 16 or over, have no one getting child benefit for you and not be in full-time education
- not have enough resources to meet your short-term needs
- have low household income of less than £16,400 a year, or receive one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Job Seekers Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
All applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Support you may be offered
- Referral to a foodbank.
- Support towards daily living costs, utility bills and rent arrears.
- Provision and replacement of essential white goods and furniture.
- Advice and signposting to agencies.
How to apply
You can apply for the scheme using the Barnsley Council online form. They may ask you to provide evidence to support your application. This could be bank statements, payslips, Universal Credit journal entries and any other evidence they think is needed.
After filling in your form they will contact you within two working days.
For more advice about short term help please call (01226) 773870.