Crisis Payments and Local Welfare Assistance

The Government has recently introduced “The Crisis and Resilience Fund” which has replaced the Household Support Fund. 

You can use the same form for claims for help under both the Crisis Payments and Local Welfare Assistance schemes.

Crisis Payments and Local Welfare Assistance are funds available from the Council to help you if you or your family are entering a financial crisis and you cannot afford basic essentials, especially if there is a risk to health or safety.

Funding is limited, so any award will be restricted to the minimum amount needed to address the immediate hardship.

Types of assistance we can provide include:

• Referrals to charities and other agencies that may be in a position to offer assistance and/or advice
• Referrals to food banks and cash or vouchers to assist with the cost of food
• Cash or vouchers to pay for other essentials such as bedding, household goods, furniture and warm clothing
• Financial assistance to help with fuel and water costs
• Financial assistance to help with sudden unexpected costs which are essential but are not referred to above

We may be able to help if you:

• are aged 18 or over
• 16 to 18 and receiving either Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, which includes the Housing Cost Element
• have recourse to public funds
• live in Waltham Forest unless you are fleeing domestic violence or leaving an institution
• have not been housed in Waltham Forest by another local authority
• are not in a hospital, care home, or prison (unless you are due to be discharged within six weeks)
• do not have savings you could use to meet the need
• do not have enough resources to prevent serious risks to your own, or your family’s health or safety

We cannot help you if:

• You have no recourse to public funds
• You are seeking assistance with mortgage or leasehold arrears
• You do not live in the London Borough of Waltham Forest unless;
  • You have been housed in temporary accommodation outside the borough by the Council or,
  • You are about to re-enter the community after a period in care or prison and will be living in Waltham Forest
  • Are homeless, but the Council has accepted a duty to you under housing legislation

Applications must be made by completing the form. If you have problems using a computer for health or disability reasons or do not have access to a computer, you can either:

• ask somebody such as a friend or relative to complete a form on your behalf
• visit one of our Libraries where you can use a computer to complete the form. A member of staff will help you get online

You will have to provide evidence of your identity in support of your claim and, depending on your specific circumstances we may ask you to provide other evidence such as payslips and bank account details.

We will deal with your claim as quickly as possible but will give priority to very urgent cases such as those from people with an immediate need for help with food.

If you need to provide evidence in support of your claim, the quickest way to do so is to attach the evidence to your application form. 

We will give you the result of your application and make arrangements to provide you with the help you have requested. To do this, we may share all or some of the following information with third-party suppliers and advice providers so far as is necessary to do so to give effect to the award:

1. Your title, name and address
2. The amount of award
3. The nature of the award
4. Your phone number
5. Your email address

If you are not successful, we will let you know why and try to suggest some other sources of help or advice.

You can challenge any decision made except one where a decision has been made to meet an application in full.

You must challenge the decision within one month of the date of the decision.  There are two ways you can do this:

The easiest way is to complete a review request form. This will ask for all the information we need to review our decision. 

If you prefer, you can email the Revenues and Benefits Service at: revenue.services@walthamforest.gov.uk.
 

The email must be received within one month of the date of the letter being challenged and should: 

• State “Crisis Payment and/or Local Welfare Assistance dispute” together with the claim reference number in the subject line.
• State the date of the notification letter of the decision being challenged.
• State the reason(s) the decision is being challenged and,
• Include, as attachments, copies of any documents you want the Council to consider

You may be able to apply for a Budgeting Loan from the DWP; contact your local DWP office for more information.

You can find a detailed list of organisations that may be able to provide you with support and advice on our extra help website page.

1. Select Show Errors to check for any missing information. Select the page number shown to fix any errors.
2. Upload all supporting evidence before submitting your form.
3. Select Submit and follow the instructions.
4. Do not close the form until you see a confirmation message that your form has been received.

If you need help, use the 'Contact us' option and include your form reference number. After submitting your form, please quote your claim reference or National Insurance number when contacting us.

Please note: Once you submit the form, you cannot make any changes.