Since the beginning the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020, we have supported our customers as they experienced pressure on their health and finances, providing more than 3,000 crisis and hardship grants to customers, amounting to nearly £580,000.
With household budgets being stretched due to the cost of living crisis and an increase in customers struggling to manage their finances, our crisis and hardship grants will now be focusing primarily on food and energy support for LiveWest customers.
We need to manage our grants to be able to support as many households as possible through this financial year, and we will therefore only be able to support with other household items, such as white goods, in exceptional circumstances through our Tenancy Sustainment support service. If you require help with sourcing items for your home, you can complete our online Tenancy Sustainment referral form, and our team will be in contact to discuss the support we can provide.
What is our crisis and hardship grant?
Crisis and hardship grants are available for LiveWest customers who are experiencing financial difficulties accessing food or managing energy costs as a result of a crisis or emergency.
The crisis and hardship grant programme aims to offer financial help where no other form of funding can be secured in a short period. Funding is a one-off payment that is intended to prevent an individual or family from moving into crisis or to cover an immediate need.
Our Tenancy Sustainment team will talk to you about your situation and assess your financial circumstances to determine if there is any support they can give. An income and expenditure form will need to be completed alongside the application form to help them to reach a decision.
Due to high demand for this grant, there may be a waiting period. Our teams are working through all applications as quickly as possible, and any applications received will be reviewed and responded to within 28 days. Funding is a one-off payment that is based on assessment and intended to prevent an individual or family from moving into crisis or to cover an immediate need.
You will be asked to confirm specific costs within your application.
Additional support available
If you require additional assistance our Tenancy Sustainment team can offer up to 12 weeks support. They can provide advice and guidance including managing your finances or your home and tenancy. They can also signpost to external specialist services and organisations to assist with your health and wellbeing. The Tenancy Sustainment team may also be able to help you, where eligible, with looking for other grant funding.
You can make a self-referral for support from our Tenancy Sustainment team here.
You can also call our dedicated Tenancy Sustainment duty lines between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, if you need support in making an application: 01392 302444
You may also find it useful to read our Be Money Ready and cost of living pages, which contain information and advice to help you with the rising cost of living.
If you need advice on managing your energy bills or trying to be more efficient with how you use your energy, visit energy advice.
Please note, the grants we offer are subject to change. To find out what grants are currently available, visit our Grants page.