£200,000 to ease hardship this Christmas
A £200,000 fund to ease Christmas hardship has been announced by the county council.
The council is providing £200,000 to the Norfolk Community Foundation, to support families and vulnerable people facing hardship this Christmas.
County council leader Councillor Andrew Proctor said: “We know this has been a tough year for many people in Norfolk and we’ve been working with partners to support the most vulnerable, especially as winter kicks in and the furlough scheme ends.
“By working with the Norfolk Community Foundation, we’re maximising the impact of every pound, to help the people who need it most.”
Claire Cullens, chief executive of Norfolk Community Foundation, welcomed the announcement and said: “This partnership with Norfolk County Council will give families a helping hand to cope through the crisis of a Covid Christmas. By working together, we will maximise the impact of investment for Norfolk during these challenging times.
“It is widely recognised that many people who have never needed help before now need support, because Covid has pushed them from struggling to make ends meet to being unable to cope.”
The money is coming from the county council’s £1.015 million Government grant to support people in Norfolk. Around half has been spent so far to help people with food, fuel, exceptional household items and other welfare support.
Before the Christmas scheme launches, applications for help can be made to the Norfolk Assistance Scheme on the county council website – https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/care-support-and-health/support-for-living-independently/money-and-benefits/norfolk-assistance-scheme – or, for those who don’t have internet access, by calling 01603 223392 option 5.
Awards that can be made include:
- A three-day award for applicants who have made an application for Universal Credit
- A seven-day award for people who are furloughed, are self-employed or have been made redundant and are awaiting verification of their Universal Credit application
- Awards to applicants with no recourse to public funds