Help in a crisis

How to get help through the Local Welfare Provision (LWP) scheme

There are two different ways to get help through the Local Welfare Provision (LWP) scheme:

Crisis support

If you need critical short-term support, we may be able to help, if you and/or your partner have no funds or other means of getting help anywhere else and you are experiencing a crisis.

A crisis refers to "an urgent need as a result of an emergency, disaster or unforeseen circumstance, not to be confused with the pressures generally associated with managing a low income".

A crisis situation is defined as "where a household has insufficient resources to meet an urgent need that poses an immediate and substantial risk to the health and wellbeing of the applicant and/or a member of their family".

For a crisis support application to be considered we will need to talk to you by telephone (not email) about your crisis and the reason(s) for your claim.  We will also need your and your partner's (if you have one) bank statements to be provided together with any other proof of expenditure we ask for such as a copy of a bill payment or loan repayment (that this list is not exhaustive).

If your application is successful, we can provide support towards food with a food bank referral and/or support towards energy (key meter only; gas bottle or oil) with a voucher.

We do not provide loans or grants towards food or energy or help towards things such as clothing, school uniforms or travel costs

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.

We do not provide loans or grants towards any household item, replacements for goods that have broken or stopped working, carpets (or flooring of any kind); curtains; fridge freezers; furniture (sofa, chairs, tables, chest of drawers, wardrobes), kitchen utensils, bedding; televisions - this list is not exhaustive.

How to apply

The LWP service is open from 9am to 12 noon Monday to Friday only. Applications should be made by telephone during this time by calling us on 0300 456 0110.

We will only deal with face-to-face applications in exceptional circumstances and only between 9am and 12 noon Monday to Friday. This service will be limited to County Hall, Trowbridge and Monkton Park, Chippenham.

To apply for household support, download our LWP Application Form (OpenDocument text format) [56KB] (opens new window) 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.

There is a maximum number of 2 LWP awards (per household) that can be considered per financial year (1 April to 31 March)  and we will normally only make one award per calendar month.

If you're waiting to hear about benefit application

If you are waiting to hear about an application for benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (opens new window), 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 (opens new window) 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 (opens new window), or the DWP (opens new window)