Emergency Financial Support Scheme (£ 400,000 ) The scheme allows the Council to provide emergency support to help people in crisis situations due to an emergency or disaster , as well as to helping those leaving care , hospital , or prison to become established in the community . It can contribute towards necessary items and expenses , including essential and specialist food needs , furniture and household goods , white goods , fuel and utilities including phone and broadband bills and some medical expenses . All applications are carefully considered against strict eligibility criteria and evidence of need .
Holiday Activity Fund ( HAF ) – Food Support (£ 200,000 ) The HAF is a national programme providing more than 70 clubs and activity venues in Wirral over the summer holiday for free school meal-eligible young people . The Household Support Fund will ensure every child taking part will receive a nutritious meal each day they attend .
Wirral Family Cook Off (£ 200,000 ) Up to 4,000 families in all parts of the borough will receive food boxes containing the ingredients and step-by-step menu cards to create interesting and nutritious family meals together this summer . The project builds on the two earlier phases of the Wirral Cook Off , which have seen saw more than 25,000 hampers containing 120,000 family meals , provided to households across Wirral .
Early Years Food and Essential Hampers During School Holidays (£ 130,000 ) Families who qualify for 2 Year Funding or Early Years Pupil Premium ( the pre-cursors to free school meal eligibility at primary school ) will receive hampers containing food and other essential items , which will be provided for the nursery / school summer holidays . Other local families with children under 5 who may need the same support should contact their nearest Children ' s Centre to discuss applying .
Housing Support Costs (£ 100,000 ) The funding will allow Wirral ’ s Revenues and Benefits service to allocate funding to support housing costs in exceptional cases of genuine emergency where existing housing support schemes cannot be used .
Crisis Support with White Goods (£ 54,000 ) This funding will allow community-based partners , North Birkenhead Development Trust and St Vincent de Paul Society ( Wirral ), to continue providing white goods and other essential items to vulnerable households who do not qualify for the Council ’ s Emergency Financial Support Scheme .
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service : Risk Reduction Items (£ 20,000 ) Wirral will provide continued support for an MFRS-led initiative to install heating-related risk reduction items in the homes of vulnerable people across the borough . The Fire Service will target this support , however a referral can be made to MFRS if a vulnerable household is identified . Please email COVID19 Food Team COVID19foodteam @ wirral . gov . uk for a copy of the referral form if required .
Further information is available on the Wirral Council website at www . wirral . gov . uk / welfaresupport or by calling the helpline on 0151 666 5050 if you are unable to go online . The helpline can also advise on assistance that may be available from Age UK Wirral for anyone digitally excluded .
Information about other support for residents is available on the Wirral Infobank website at www . wirralinfobank . co . uk .
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