The Help Hub is a collaboration between all local councils, police and health services. If you are in need of help, such as support accessing food, medication and other essentials you can register with the hub and let your local council know what you need help with.
Alternatively you can offer help through the hub, whether you are an individual who wants to support your community or if you are a business who can help families in need during the Coronavirus outbreak.
If you have been identified as Extremely Vulnerable and you require a priority online shopping slot you must register on the Gov.uk website and answer No to the question ‘Do you have a way of getting essential supplies delivered at the moment?’
This information will then be shared with the supermarkets and you will be able to access the priority delivery slots.
You will also receive the weekly government essential food parcel. If you do not require the food parcel you can refuse to accept it when it is delivered and go back onto the Gov.uk website and change your answer to Yes, or you can donate to your local foodbank.
This will stop the food parcel and will not affect the supermarket priority status.
It is important that you answer No in the first instance to obtain your supermarket priority status.
Age UK have produced a brilliant document detailing the various places you can get help and support.
Whether you need a free food parcel or want to purchase goods from local retailers, they have a wealth of Cheltenham-specific information.
They also have more details about supermarket protected shopping times for key workers and vulnerable shoppers and a information about a variety of organisations offering support of all kinds.
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Find information on help that is available to you if:
- You are unable to work due to isolating with a vulnerable household member
- You are currently ‘furloughed’ by your employer
- You have lost your job due to Covid-19
- You are self-employed, or
- You are in receipt of benefits.
The Family Information Service are extending their advice line to provide some practical parenting support to parents during Covid-19.
They will provide parents with a confidential space to talk, helping them to explore their situation and identify a way forward, offering practical parenting strategies where this is needed.
The advice line will be available weekdays from 9am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 6pm.
During the Covid-19 Pandemic Gloucestershire’s Welfare Support Scheme has been extended and the funding increased to support people who are in financial hardship as a result of the virus.
Visit Gloucestershire County Council’s website for more information.