Carers Direct Homecare is working with Leicester City Council to help with Leicester’s Covid Winter Grant Scheme
Email us and wait for the response if you are struggling with with the cost of food, energy (including heating, cooking, lighting), water bills (including sewerage) and other essentials. The scheme is part of larger winter support available to families and children.
c19wintergrantscheme@carersdirecthomecare.com
When this scheme finishes the email address will not be monitored.
Frequently Asked Questions for Referrers: This will help you understand more about the scheme.
What is the winter grant scheme?
This is a national scheme to help residents most in need with the cost of food, energy (including heating, cooking, lighting), water bills (including sewerage) and other essentials. The scheme is part of larger winter support available to families and children
.
Which households are eligible for support?
Referred households must be resident in Leicester, include at least one claimant aged over sixteen years of age, and be experiencing significant impact on their finances as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. The referral should relate to one of the following circumstances:
• A member of the household has been placed on furlough, made redundant or had working hours reduced
• The household has had to self-isolate but has been refused a test and trace support payment. For example, a claimant has had to take time off work due to their children’s school or nursery asking them to self-isolate
• Someone in the household is clinically extremely vulnerable and is facing financial loss due to shielding, and may also experience mental health issues
• A member of the household has been identified as experiencing financial exploitation in relation to their place of work
• A member of the household may require support due to safeguarding issues. For example, there is a serious risk to the health and well-being of the household.
You can find out more in our policy document.
Are claimants with no recourse to public funds eligible?
Households where all members are without recourse to public funds are not eligible to apply for this scheme, unless there is an established statutory duty owed by the council to the household. For example, where there are community care needs, serious health problems and/or a risk to a child’s well-being.
You may not complete a winter grant referral for any households without recourse to public funds. Such households should be referred onto either the children’s services duty and assessment team (for families with children) or adult’s services duty and assessment team (for individuals and couples without children), who will be able to refer vulnerable households after such a duty has been established.
Children’s services duty and assessment team: das.team@leicester.gov.uk or 0116 454 1004
Adult’s services duty and assessment team: contact-response@leicester.gov.uk or 0116 454 1004
How long will this scheme run for?
The scheme will operate until 31 March 2021.
Will the scheme remain the same throughout the whole period?
This policy may need to change. If we need to make amendments or additions to the scheme, the updated policy will be republished online. All referrals received the day after any published changes will be assessed in line with that updated policy.
How are awards assessed for eligible households?
We will look at the information you have provided in the referral form to determine the most appropriate means, delivery and duration of support to offer the household.
Referrers are responsible for checking with households what duration is required. We can provide one-off one, two, three or four-week support for recurring items, but ask that longer awards are only requested where required so that the funding can help as many people as possible.
The value of awards will vary based on household composition and the means by which their property is heated. They are paid as follows:
• Food awards will be made by phone app, e-voucher or food box (either through schools or the community support grant scheme)
• Gas awards will be made by e-voucher or Leicester Charity Link referral to directly credit accounts
• Electricity awards will be made by e-voucher or Leicester Charity Link referral to directly credit accounts
• District heating awards will be directly credited to the rent account
• Awards for oil will be made by Leicester Charity Link referral to directly credit accounts
• Water/sewerage awards will be made by providing credit to the account
• Awards for other essential items will be made by Primark e-voucher through Leicester Charity Link referral
Can multiple awards be made?
Yes, a maximum of four four-week awards can be made to a single household over the duration of the scheme. However, once an award has been made for a period, no further ‘duplicate award’ can be made until that period has ended, and it is not
possible to amend referrals once they have been made. You must ensure that all means of support a household requires are entered onto the same referral form.
What does it mean to verify identity?
You will be completing the referral form in the name of a single adult representative of the household, known as the lead claimant. In order to verify their identity, you must be able to confirm that you have seen their photo ID, such as a passport, driving licence or bus pass, and evidence of their address, such as bank statements, council tax bill or DVLA registration documents.
This ID verification must be either whilst you have been in contact with the household in relation to this referral, or if carried out previously in relation to an earlier contact, provided that address details remain unchanged. The applicant will also need to use this ID evidence when presenting an e-voucher at the shop till.
Can we help if our organisation is not able to verify the identity of one or more individuals in the household?
Yes, but there may be a delay in processing your referral as we will need to verify their identity ourselves through third-party sources. Your referral may be rejected if we are unable to confirm the claimant’s identity and address through information available to the council.
What other information will I need in order to complete the referral?
The following are mandatory information fields, without which the referral cannot be completed:
• The reason for the referral
• Name, address, postcode and date of birth of the lead claimant
• Household composition (number of adults, children and children’s ages)
• Mobile number and email address, unless household has neither because they struggle with digital access
• Type of support required
• How the household’s property is heated, their supplier(s) and whether they have a prepayment meter
• Water rates reference number (if available)
Does a member of the household have to be present when I make the referral?
No, but you must have their permission and have the necessary details available before starting to make your referral. It is also necessary to read the declaration provided to the lead claimant of the household, either in person, or by phone, before submitting the referral.
How will I know what the council’s decision is?
We will respond by email confirming your referral, and subsequently to confirm an award, refusal or request for further information.
We will not contact the household directly – it will be your responsibility as the referrer to inform the household of our decision.
If a customer’s application is successful and due to receive a e-voucher, how will they receive this?
If an email address is provided the e-voucher will be emailed over to the customer. If they do not and are being supported by a trusted friend, family member or neighbour who is willing to assist by providing their mobile number and email address, the e- voucher can be sent to any of the above. NOTE: the customer much give their permission for this to happen.
If the customer has no email or has no support in place, we will email the e-voucher to the referring person – it will be your responsibility to print off and provide the e-voucher to the customer.
What if my organisation or the household want to query the award or ask for a decision to be reviewed?
Queries or review requests should be sent to c19wintergrantscheme@leicester.gov.uk. Details of our (Leicester City Council ) review procedure can be found in the policy.
You or the referred household have the right to make a complaint if you think there has been a problem with the administration of the scheme. This can be done by emailing complaints@leicester.gov.uk
The only further available recourse is through judicial review.
How is the council managing the risk of fraudulent applications?
We to make sure that all applications are made legitimately.
If you or the claimant falsely declares the household’s circumstances, provide a false statement or provide false evidence in support of the application, you or the claimant may have committed an offence under the Fraud Act 2006.
Leicester City Council has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and financial irregularity. All suspicions of fraud relating to this scheme will be referred to Leicestershire Police.