Due to an increase in applications received, we are currently prioritising requests for help with food or fuel. Applications for all other items are being considered in strict date order. The team are currently taking approximately 7 to 10 working days to process these applications. We thank you for your patience during this period of high demand.
For 'Out of Hours' assistance in a genuine emergency where there is an immediate threat to health or safety, contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0151 677 6557. View other emergency contacts at the council
Get help if you need advice about debt or changes to your income
The 'Ask Us Wirral' service run by Citizens Advice Wirral can help if you need specialist benefits, debt or housing advice.
Call 0808 278 7848 and if the line is busy, leave a message for the team to get back to you.
You can also get advice if you have become unemployed, or are self-employed and this has resulted in changes to your income.
Call the Citizens Advice Wirral 'Help to Claim' team on 0800 144 8444.
Apply for emergency financial support with welfare needs
Financial support for individuals and families in crisis due to an emergency or disaster may be available from Wirral Council. This may include help for those leaving a care home, prison, hospital or similar, to become established in the community.
You must be:
- aged 16 or over
- a Wirral resident or intending to be (that is, has accommodation secured)
- requiring support to address your own essential needs or the needs of their dependant(s)
- able to demonstrate that you are unable to access any other timely resource or other ways of meeting this need which are considered reasonable
- able to demonstrate that your health and safety, and that of your dependant(s), would be adversely affected if an award was not made
The scheme does not cover:
- cash (money lost or stolen)
- funeral costs – for support please visit GOV.UK
- maternity costs and new baby items – for support please visit GOV.UK
- rent costs – you may be able to get help through the council's bond scheme or discretionary housing payments
- essential repairs to your home; if you rent your home your landlord is responsible for repairs. If you own your home you may be able to apply for a heating and renovation loan
- essential furniture if you rent a furnished accommodation; your landlord is responsible for providing this
- school uniform - for help, visit Wirral FUSS
- clothing to attend a funeral, or job interview where an application to the Department for Work and Pensions' Flexible Support Fund has been rejected or the individual is not eligible.
We will ask you about your circumstances and your financial situation so that we can assess your need.
Where possible, people who are newly claiming Universal Credit and are waiting for their first payment, may ask for an advance of their Universal Credit award before applying through this scheme for help with food or utilities. You can ask for an advanced payment at the Jobcentre or can call freephone 0800 328 5644.
Help with food
Wirral Foodbank works with local agencies to help people who are struggling to put food on the table. If you need an emergency food parcel, a local agency may be able to provide you with an emergency foodbank voucher for the Wirral Foodbank. Visit Wirral Foodbank for details of agencies who can assist or call 0151 606 2005 who can also assess you for help for Wirral Foodbank.
Emergency financial support may be available from Wirral Council for individuals and families in crisis who are in urgent need of specialist food that cannot be supplied by Wirral Foodbank and who cannot pay. We may be able to provide financial help for three days’ worth of food for people with a specific food need related to a medical or health condition or due to religion or culture.
Help with utilities
If you are having problems topping up your gas and electricity as a result of financial hardship, you should contact your energy supplier. We can only help with your gas and electricity if your need is urgent and you are on a pre-payment meter. If we agree that you need emergency help, we will provide your details to the Fuel Bank Foundation. If you pay by direct debit but you have energy arrears, help may be available through Citizens Advice Wirral (call 0808 278 7848) or Energy Projects Plus (call 0800 043 0151)
Help with household items
Emergency financial support may be available from Wirral Council for individuals and families who meet the above criteria and who need help with household items such as: white goods; essential furniture and kitchen items; bedding and clothing.
Help with something else (for example, other items, bills and expenses)
Financial support may be available to help with other household items, bills and expenses. This is to provide immediate help in an emergency situation; it is not to provide ongoing regular support.
This may include for example:
- Essential transport costs. This could cover emergency travel. It could be for caring duties. It could also be for essential health appointments like dialysis or chemotherapy. We may ask for evidence to support your application.
- Veterinary bills. This may be for unexpected veterinary treatment required for a pet critical to its health and wellbeing, where pet insurance is not in place. This does not extend to routine vaccinations, microchipping and neutering, worming or flea treatment. Local charity Animal Trust Birkenhead provides free consultations
- General health needs. This may be for the limited cost of important health needs such as ‘Flu vaccinations, paid-for treatments and unexpected high prescription costs. Individuals must be ineligible for free access or other financial support for such needs
- Help may be available for other items or bills
Details should be included in the ‘financial help with something else’ section of the form.
Where possible, any written or electronic quotation, invoice or receipt should be uploaded to the form and any other relevant information noted in the free text box in this section. Please provide as much detail as you can, including the amount that you are seeking. This will help in processing your application more quickly.
By providing the details, either by typing in the form or by attaching a relevant document, the applicant is giving explicit consent for the council to contact the organisation or supplier identified to discuss the applicant’s request.
If an award is granted, some of these items may be provided directly through an external provider or the council may make payment directly to a third party.
Advice and help can be sought on 0151 606 2005.
What you can expect
If you request support, we aim to process your application for food or utilities within two working days. We aim to process your application for other welfare support within five working days. We may request additional information or documentation from you at the time of your application and as part of the assessment. If you applied to us yourself (that is, not through a referring agency) we may refer your details to Citizens Advice Wirral who will contact you to give you further advice. Citizens Advice Wirral may share with us information about the outcome of any referral.
Please do not apply again while you are waiting to hear from us. This may affect the time it takes to process your request. We are working hard to get residents the help they need as quickly as possible. We will notify you of the outcome of your application by text message.
If you do not agree with a decision that has been made regarding the outcome of your application and you have additional information that you feel needs to be taken into account, you may contact 0151 606 2005 to discuss this further.
Get help to complete the forms
If you need help completing the forms, you can call 0151 606 2005, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Support workers or other agencies can make applications on behalf of someone else. Friends and family can also help someone with an application.
Get help if English is not your first language
'Wirral Change' supports residents who may have barriers to accessing the Wirral Foodbank service via the Helpline or online form if their first language is not English or if they have other needs.
For advice and guidance from Wirral Change:
- telephone: 0151 649 8177
- email: info@wirralchange.org.uk