Wiltshire CouncilHelp in a crisis
Local welfare provision providing support to people in crisis
The local welfare provision scheme provides critical short-term help and assistance with limited one-off household goods.
There are two different ways to get help through the Local Welfare Provision (LWP) scheme:
1. Crisis support
If you need critical short-term help.
We may be able to help if you or close family members are going through a personal financial crisis and have no funds or other means of getting help anywhere else. Examples of a crisis situation may be where you have no food and no means of getting any, or no electric or gas (key meter only) and no means of getting any.
2. Household Support
If you need help to establish or maintain independent living in the community (this will be in the form of limited one-off household goods, which in some cases may be refurbished).
We may be able to help you live an independent life and remain or become integrated within the community by providing some household items. This will be dependent upon your circumstances. For example, if you are moving from temporary accommodation or leaving prison or care.
To apply for crisis support or household support, download our Local Welfare Provision crisis support form (right) or call us on 0300 456 0110.
Evidence to support your application may be requested from you at any time during the claim process. This will include bank statements or other evidence as required.
From 25 March 2020 Local Welfare Provision (LWP) applications should be made by telephone from 9am to 12 noon Monday to Friday. Following Government advice and to help stop the transmission of COVID-19, we will only deal with face-to-face applications in exceptional circumstances between 9am and 12 noon and this service may be limited.
If you are waiting to hear about an application for benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), you may get help with a budgeting loan or advance. You can only apply for a budgeting loan if you have been in receipt of certain benefits for more than 26 weeks. To apply or receive further information, you will need to contact the DWP directly.
Other councils may not operate a local welfare provision scheme, or they may operate a scheme that could be either similar or different to that of Wiltshire Council.
For further help and advice, contact your local Citizens Advice Wiltshire, or the DWP.
