Benefits team Christmas opening hours
Our Benefits team will be closed for Bank Holidays over the Christmas period. They will be closed on Wednesday 25 December 2024, Thursday 26 December 2024, and Wednesday 1 January 2025.
Normal opening hours apply outside of the Bank Holidays.
Get help if you can't afford the basics such as food, energy costs, and household items, or need help with certain debts.
The Welfare Support Scheme provides BANES residents with short-term financial help in a crisis. The amount of help will be based on your personal and financial circumstances, but could include vouchers or help to buy essential items, we may refer you to a charity for support, or temporarily contribute towards housing or living costs.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the scheme, all of the following must apply:.
- You live in B&NES
- You are in a financial crisis and struggling to pay for food or essential items
- You have no other means of support available to you
- You are not subject to immigration controls
We might ask you to complete an income and expenditure form to support your application. We may also ask for bank statements or other evidence as required during the application process.
How we can help
Food
Access to the local foodbank, retail vouchers for food and essentials, or referral to other appropriate food provision in BANES.
Energy costs
Help with certain household bills (includes gas, electric, oil, or LRG fuels).
Other help
We can also help with the following things:
- Household furniture, essential white goods and under certain circumstances carpets
- Removal costs
- Help to pay for school uniforms
- Essential clothing in certain situations (for example, interviews or recent release from prison)
- Council Tax debt
- Rent in advance to secure a tenancy
- Rent arrears as a Discretionary Housing Payment, or from the Welfare Support budget (if you are not eligible for a Discretionary Housing Payment)
How to apply
By phone
Call us on 01225 47 72 77 (Monday to Thursday 9am to 5 pm (Wednesday 9.30 am to 5 pm), and Friday 9am to 4.30 pm).
By email
Email us at welfare_support@bathnes.gov.uk providing your name, address, contact number and a brief description of how we can help.
We may ask you to complete a Welfare Support and Discretionary Housing Payment application income & expenditure form.
Find out more about benefits by following the links in the panel on the right.