Trafford Assist

Trafford Assist is our local welfare assistance scheme to help residents in short-term acute financial difficulties.

The scheme helps people to:

• Meet immediate short term needs in an emergency or as a result of a disaster
• Return to or remain in the community and help them to live independently in their own home
• Meet essential travelling expenses, for example, to attend a funeral of a close relative

The Trafford Assist scheme is to meet a one-off need rather than ongoing expenses.

Who can apply

To qualify for help, you must:

• Be 16 years or over
• Be a UK resident
• Live in Trafford or be planning to move into Trafford (within the next six weeks)
• Be in receipt or have an application pending for one of the following:
  • Employment Support Allowance Income Related
  • Income Support
  • Jobseekers Allowance Income Based
  • Guaranteed Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit
  • Free school meal for a dependent

What you can get help for

Trafford Assist provides financial support for:

• Emergency help for food
• Emergency help towards gas, electric and water bills
• Essential travel expenses
• White goods and furniture

Emergency help for food

If you qualify, we will pay your award into your bank account. The amount you receive depends on the size of your family and your financial circumstances. In some cases we can award food vouchers, for example, if you don’t have a bank account.

Emergency help towards gas, electric and water bills

If you qualify, we will pay your award into your bank account. In some cases we can award a fuel voucher using PayPoint, for example, if you don’t have a bank account.

If you have recently applied for Universal Credit and don’t have enough money to live on, you may be able to get an advanced payment.

White goods and furniture

In some cases we can award one off essential items. You must have no other means of getting help. Help from the scheme is the only way that you can avoid serious damage or risk to health or wellbeing of you or your family.

Someone from Trafford Council will come to visit your home to assess your need. If you qualify for help then the Council will buy the essential items on your behalf.

We will not give you cash for white goods and furniture awards.

Essential travel expenses

If you have an essential travel expense which cannot be paid for by another fund, we may be able to help. For example the NHS travel cost scheme helps with travel to a hospital appointment.

We will ask for evidence of the reason for travel.

How you will be paid

Trafford Assist usually makes payments into your bank account, meaning that you can pay for your goods using your own debit card/mobile pay app. Trafford Assist aims to make a decision on your application within 24 hours from receipt. It takes three working days for your bank to credit you account with the payment.

The table below shows when you should expect to receive your payment; these relate to working days excluding Bank Holidays:

The Trafford Assist scheme is a cash-first scheme, but if you don’t have a bank account or if you need a payment sooner than this, we can send you a voucher.

You can spend your food voucher in a number of different supermarkets.

For fuel awards where you have a smart meter, we can send you a fuel top-up voucher which you will be able to redeem at any PayPoint outlet.

The Trafford Assist does not handle any cash.

If your bank account is overdrawn

If you are eligible for an award, you can tell your bank that the payment you receive should only be used for certain items. It is not to be used to repay your overdraft. As soon as you receive notification that the payment has been approved, write to your bank making it clear what the money is to be used for.

Before you start

Before you apply you will need:

• Your personal details including your National Insurance Number
• Details of anyone living with you
• You may also be asked for details of the money you receive and pay out

Apply for food, household bills or furniture Apply for essentail travel costs