Money, grants and benefits

There is information below about the benefits that may be available to help your family, about places you can find advice about money, and organisations who offer grants to people in need.

Household Support Fund

Stoke-on-Trent City Council with the help of a wide range of local partners, are distributing support worth £2.6 million on behalf of the UK Government, to support the most vulnerable households across the Stoke-on-Trent area with food, utilities, and other essentials.

The fund will run from 1 October 2024 until the 31 March 2025 and is available to support both adults (without dependent children) and families with children and will be made available to vulnerable households who need additional financial support.

Support will be provided to families where children fall into one of the following catergories:

• They receive free school meals
• They have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place
• Attend a funded two-year-old place or be eligible to attend a funded two-year-old place
• Are eligible to receive EYPP (Early Years Pupil Premium) as part of a funded 3 or 4 year old place.

A food voucher will be available of £40 per eligible child. Applications will be able to be made from 1 December 2024.

If your child is in a school within the Stoke-on-Trent Local Authority area and is in one of the above categories, the school will issue the voucher to you and you do not need to apply.

If your child is not in one of the above categories you will not be eligible for a voucher.

For more information and to apply see Household Support Fund | Household Support Fund | Stoke-on-Trent

Benefits

Use the Benefits Calculator to see what you can claim. You can find it by clicking here.

You can find out about housing benefit and council tax support in Stoke-on-Trent by clicking here.

There is a guide to the benefits you may be able to claim at the Contact website. You can visit it here.

There is information about benefits that you may be eligible for, including Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Carer’s Allowance

If you would like some help filling in the application forms, here are some people who can help you. Find information to help with filling in the DLA form for your child by clicking here

There is some detailed help to fill in your Child DLA form from Contact – you can read it by clicking here.

Appointeeship

You can apply to become an appointee for someone who may need help with claiming benefit because they need support managing their own affairs.

There is more information about when this might be suitable on the Scope website. You can find out how to apply to do this on the government website.

Food

You can find the details of places to save money on food shopping by clicking here.

You can find out about Free School Meals by clicking here

Advice about money

You can find information about cost of living support available in Stoke-on-Trent by clicking here: Access cost of living support you’re entitled to | Supporting our city | Stoke-on-Trent

Welcoming Spaces

A Welcoming Space is a place of connection already established in the community (such as a community centre, library or place of faith), where people can meet up, socialise, and access support, relating to the cost of living. Services available at each Welcoming Space will vary but may include:

• access to support about money, welfare, and mental wellbeing
• community activities
• access to computers, free Wi-Fi and charging points
• heated space

You can find your closest Welcoming Space by clicking here.

Grants

A grant is help given to people in need. A grant can be given as money, products or services that don’t have to be paid back.

These organisations can help you find grants that you may be able to apply for.

Support - grants – SEND Local Offer (stoke.gov.uk)