Funding and Benefits

The Council Tax Support scheme helps people towards the cost of their Council Tax bill.

The figures set out in the Council Tax Support Scheme have been uprated, to take effect from 1 April 2023.

The amount of uprating has been determined by Wirral Council and link as closely to other welfare benefit changes or may be linked to the consumer price index, of inflation set in the preceding September or by another rate determined with reference to provisions made for Universal Credit.

From 1 April 2019, an additional provision was made to enable backdating in exceptional circumstances for a maximum period of 3 months.

Who can get Council Tax Support?

To qualify for Council Tax Support you must be:

on a low income

the person responsible for paying the Council Tax

When you make a claim for Universal Credit we will use your Universal Credit award notification to work out how much Council Tax Support you may be entitled to.

If you start receiving Universal Credit after a change in your circumstances and you need help to pay your Council Tax, you will need to make a claim for Council Tax Support.

Council Tax Support is calculated by looking at you and your partner’s income, savings and household circumstances.

Proof you will need when you apply for Council Tax Support

When you apply for Council Support you will need to provide certain documents to prove that you are eligible.

Find out what proof you need to provide

Apply for Council Tax Support

Currently, a helpline is available for those who might need help filling in or making applications. If you need help with your application please phone the One Stop Shops team.

How much am I entitled to?

The maximum amount of Council Tax Support that you can receive is:

up to 88% of your Council Tax liability for working age people

up to 100% of your Council Tax liability for people who have reached pensionable age and certain vulnerable groups

The amount of support you will get is worked out by looking at:

how much money you have coming in

you and your partner’s personal circumstances and those of your household

the amount of Council Tax you have to pay

the amount of savings and capital you have

You will not be able to claim Council Tax Support if:

you and your partner are of working age, not classed as vulnerable and have savings or capital over £6,000 or

you’ve reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit and you and your partner have savings or capital over £16,000 unless you receive Guaranteed Pension Credit

Council Tax Support Fund 2023/24

The government announced on the 23 December £100 million of additional funding for local authorities to support the most vulnerable households in England. This funding will allow Wirral Council to deliver additional support to over 10,000 households already receiving Council Tax support.

The funding is for the 2023-24 financial year. Wirral has been allocated £789,483. This means we can reduce the bills of those receiving Council Tax Support by up £60 per Council Tax account. This will be awarded automatically and will be shown on your bill. If you bill is for less than £60 before the relief you will have nothing to pay.

We will also be making awards of £60 to all new successful claimants of Council Tax Support in 2023/24 until the fund runs out.

Find out More

Children who are under 16 and have difficulty walking or need extra care compared to other children their age may be eligible for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). To apply for DLA visit gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children.

If you need assistance with the process, visit Citizens Advice.org.uk.

It's important to note that the information provided was accurate at the time of publishing.

Additionally, if a child receives DLA and attends a setting with 3 or 4-year-old funding entitlement, the provider can claim a yearly payment called the Disability Access Fund (DAF)

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is extra funding available for all early years providers that offer early years education for 3 and 4 year olds. The extra funding can be used to further improve the quality of education provided for disadvantaged children.

The EYPP provides an extra 53 pence per hour for eligible 3 and 4 years olds. This means an extra £302.10 a year for each eligible child taking up the full 570 hours of funded entitlement for early education.

EYPP is only applied once your child becomes eligible for universal 15 hours childcare (that is, the term after they turn 3).

To Apply Visit wirral.gov.

Get help if you need advice about debt or changes to your income

The 'Ask Us Wirral' service run by Citizens Advice Wirral can help if you need specialist benefits, debt or housing advice.

Call 0808 278 7848 and if the line is busy, leave a message for the team to get back to you.

You can also get advice if you have become unemployed, or are self-employed and this has resulted in changes to your income.

Call the Citizens Advice Wirral 'Help to Claim' team on 0800 144 8444.

Apply for emergency financial support with welfare needs

Financial support for individuals and families in crisis due to an emergency or disaster may be available from Wirral Council. This may include help for those leaving a care home, prison, hospital or similar, to become established in the community.

You must be:

aged 16 or over

a Wirral resident or intending to be (that is, has accommodation secured)

requiring support to address your own essential needs or the needs of their dependant(s)

able to demonstrate that you are unable to access any other timely resource or other ways of meeting this need which are considered reasonable

able to demonstrate that your health and safety, and that of your dependant(s), would be adversely affected if an award was not made

The scheme does not cover:

cash (money lost or stolen)

funeral costs – for support please visit GOV.UK

maternity costs and new baby items – for support please visit GOV.UK

rent costs – you may be able to get help through the council's bond scheme or discretionary housing payments

essential repairs to your home; if you rent your home your landlord is responsible for repairs. If you own your home you may be able to apply for a heating and renovation loan

essential furniture if you rent a furnished accommodation; your landlord is responsible for providing this

school uniform - for help, visit Wirral FUSS

clothing to attend a funeral, or job interview where an application to the Department for Work and Pensions' Flexible Support Fund has been rejected or the individual is not eligible.

We will ask you about your circumstances and your financial situation so that we can assess your need.

Where possible, people who are newly claiming Universal Credit and are waiting for their first payment, may ask for an advance of their Universal Credit award before applying through this scheme for help with food or utilities. You can ask for an advanced payment at the Jobcentre or can call freephone 0800 328 5644.

Help with food

Wirral Foodbank works with local agencies to help people who are struggling to put food on the table. If you need an emergency food parcel, a local agency may be able to provide you with an emergency foodbank voucher for the Wirral Foodbank. Visit Wirral Foodbank for details of agencies who can assist or call 0151 606 2005 who can also assess you for help for Wirral Foodbank.

Emergency financial support may be available from Wirral Council for individuals and families in crisis who are in urgent need of specialist food that cannot be supplied by Wirral Foodbank and who cannot pay. We may be able to provide financial help for three days’ worth of food for people with a specific food need related to a medical or health condition or due to religion or culture.

Apply for emergency support

Help with utilities

If you are having problems topping up your gas and electricity as a result of financial hardship, you should contact your energy supplier. We can only help with your gas and electricity if your need is urgent and you are on a pre-payment meter. If we agree that you need emergency help, we will provide your details to the Fuel Bank Foundation. If you pay by direct debit, help may be available through Citizens Advice Wirral (call 0808 278 7848).

Apply for emergency support

Help with household items

Emergency financial support may be available from Wirral Council for individuals and families who meet the above criteria and who need help with household items such as: white goods; essential furniture and kitchen items; bedding and clothing.

Apply for emergency support

Help with something else (for example, other items, bills and expenses)

Financial support may be available to help with other household items, bills and expenses. This is to provide immediate help in an emergency situation; it is not to provide ongoing regular support.

This may include for example:

Essential transport costs. This could cover emergency travel. It could be for caring duties. It could also be for essential health appointments like dialysis or chemotherapy. We may ask for evidence to support your application.

Veterinary bills. This may be for unexpected veterinary treatment required for a pet critical to its health and wellbeing, where pet insurance is not in place. This does not extend to routine vaccinations, microchipping and neutering, worming or flea treatment. Local charity Animal Trust Birkenhead provides free consultations

General health needs. This may be for the limited cost of important health needs such as ‘Flu vaccinations, paid-for treatments and unexpected high prescription costs. Individuals must be ineligible for free access or other financial support for such needs

Help may be available for other items or bills

Details should be included in the ‘financial help with something else’ section of the form.

Where possible, any written or electronic quotation, invoice or receipt should be uploaded to the form and any other relevant information noted in the free text box in this section. Please provide as much detail as you can, including the amount that you are seeking. This will help in processing your application more quickly.

By providing the details, either by typing in the form or by attaching a relevant document, the applicant is giving explicit consent for the council to contact the organisation or supplier identified to discuss the applicant’s request.

If an award is granted, some of these items may be provided directly through an external provider or the council may make payment directly to a third party.

Advice and help can be sought on 0151 606 2005.

If you are applying at the weekend, and cannot wait until Monday, please call 0151 677 6557 to speak to our out of hours service. The out of hours service is only for people facing crisis at the weekend.

Apply for emergency support

What you can expect

If you request support, we aim to process your application for food or utilities within two working days. We aim to process your application for other welfare support within five working days. We may request additional information or documentation from you at the time of your application and as part of the assessment. If you applied to us yourself (that is, not through a referring agency) we may refer your details to Citizens Advice Wirral who will contact you to give you further advice. Citizens Advice Wirral may share with us information about the outcome of any referral.

Please do not apply again while you are waiting to hear from us. This may affect the time it takes to process your request. We are working hard to get residents the help they need as quickly as possible. We will notify you of the outcome of your application by text message.

If you do not agree with a decision that has been made regarding the outcome of your application and you have additional information that you feel needs to be taken into account, you may contact 0151 606 2005 to discuss this further.

Get help to complete the forms

If you need help completing the forms, you can call 0151 606 2005, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Support workers or other agencies can make applications on behalf of someone else. Friends and family can also help someone with an application.

Get help if English is not your first language

'Wirral Change' supports residents who may have barriers to accessing the Wirral Foodbank service via the Helpline or online form if their first language is not English or if they have other needs.

For advice and guidance from Wirral Change:

telephone: 0151 649 8177

email: info@wirralchange.org.uk

Financial Support with Welfare Needs Privacy Notice

To speak to an advisor about reducing your energy costs, keeping warm in winter, fuel debt or accessing financial support for insulation or heating improvements, please contact the council’s partner, Energy Projects Plus on 0800 043 0151 or 0151 637 3670 or email advice@epplus.org

Other ways to help reduce your energy costs:

reduce energy waste and keep bills in check

find a cheaper energy supplier

financial help to improve or repair your heating system

make money from renewable energy sources, such as the sun and wind

visit Cool Wirral to find out about Wirral's carbon-cutting campaign

financial help with your energy bills

Contact your child's school to sign up to the school's free online system to claim free school meals. You will also need to contact the school if you no longer require free school meals.

I’ve lost my job – will my child be eligible for free school meals?

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

Income Support

income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

income-related Employment and Support Allowance

support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

the guaranteed element of Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)

Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

If you think you may now be entitled to means tested free school meals for your children, you need to contact your child’s school. They will help you but need information from you, such as your national insurance number, to do this. Get in touch with your child's school.

Find out more about emergency financial support

Schools - check which pupils have free school meals

The Ed Bens Connect system allows schools to see which of their pupils have been awarded free school meals. The system is completely secure and schools can only view data about their own pupils. You can register as a user of Ed Bens Connect on this website.

Log in or register for Ed Bens Connect

Help with the cost of school uniforms

There is no uniform grant in Wirral as the council does not compel uniforms in schools.

Some schools will have free or low-cost uniform schemes.

Wirral FUSS collects and distributes recycled uniforms free of charge to anyone who needs them.

Two-year-olds who live in Wirral may be eligible for 15 hours free childcare per week, which adds up to 570 hours per year.

Currently families in receipt of some form of additional government support may be eligible for 15 hours of funding. To see the qualifying criteria and apply please Visit wirral.gov to apply

Applications can be completed by the parent or carer of the child or a professional working with the family. Reasons for eligibility include SEND, economic and through social care.

From April 2024 working families who earn at least £167 per week may also be eligible for 15 hours of funding. To see the qualifying criteria and apply please visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

The funding can be used in a day nursery, a pre-school, or with a childminder rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’, (Parents accessing the new working parents entitlement can use their funding in a setting rated ‘Requires Improvement’ or above). Children become eligible the term after their second birthday.

You can access the free entitlement at a nursery in a Wirral school or a nursery school, certain childminders, pre-school/playgroups, day nurseries or an independent school.

For information on registered childcare providers and availability in your area call 0800 0858 743. You should contact the provider of your choice as soon as possible in case they have a waiting list for places.

Universal

All 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to receive 15 hours per week of free universal early years entitlement. Children become eligible the term after their third birthday. Contact your child’s setting to find out if they offer this free entitlement.

Extended

Working families may qualify for the extended offer of 30 hours and will need to apply via gov.uk.

More information on both Universal and Extended funding is available at childcarechoices.gov.uk

Learn More

If you are of working age and living in rented accommodation without support provided by your landlord you will need to claim Universal Credit unless you are in one of the groups mentioned below.

Find out more about Universal Credit

Housing Benefit helps you pay your rent if you are on a low income. Only certain groups of people can make a claim.

Who can make a claim?

The following people are still able to apply for Housing Benefit:

Pensioners of State Pension Age

People living in accommodation where care, support or supervision is provided by their landlord, and that landlord is a not for profit registered provider, charity or voluntary organisation.

People who are placed in temporary accommodation by the local authority

If you have made a claim for Universal Credit or are already receiving Universal Credit you can still apply for help with your Council Tax, the information on your Universal Credit award notice we use to work out your entitlement to Council Tax Support.

If you have school aged children who are not foster children you may also be entitled for free school meals.

Further information for disabled students.

The amount you will get is worked out by looking at:

You and your partner’s income

The amount of rent you pay

How much the government say you need to live on

You and your partner’s personal circumstances and those of your household

If anyone is sick or disabled or if anyone is a full-time carer

The amount of savings and capital you and your partner have - more than £16,000 will normally mean you don’t qualify; however if you have reached the qualifying age for Pension Credit we will ignore the first £10,000

To find out more visit Wirral.gov

Easy Read version

What PIP is for

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have both:

a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability

difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition

You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits.

How PIP works

There are 2 parts to PIP:

a daily living part - if you need help with everyday tasks

a mobility part - if you need help with getting around

Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.

If you might have less than 12 months to live, you’ll automatically get the daily living part. Whether you get the mobility part depends on your needs. Find out how to claim and how much you’ll get if you might have 12 months or less to live.

Daily living part

You might get the daily living part of PIP if you need help with:

preparing food

eating and drinking

managing your medicines or treatments

washing and bathing

using the toilet

dressing and undressing

reading

managing your money

socialising and being around other people

talking, listening and understanding

Mobility part

You might get the mobility part of PIP if you need help with:

working out a route and following it

physically moving around

leaving your home

You do not have to have a physical disability to get the mobility part. You might also be eligible if you have difficulty getting around because of a cognitive or mental health condition, like anxiety.

How difficulty with tasks is assessed

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they’ll look at:

whether you can do it safely

how long it takes you

how often your condition affects this activity

whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment

Your carer could get Carer’s Allowance if you have substantial caring needs.

For more information on PIP visit gov.uk/pip

PFA is a system of funding pupils with additional Special Educational Needs without the necessity for an EHC Needs Assessment. It has been successfully operating in Wirral for those CYP with ASC and is now being extended for all areas of SEND.

It is for pupils who have a higher level of need than would normally be provided through Element 2 Funding.

It aims to provide a consistent and coherent method of providing funding to schools quickly in order that pupils’ needs can be met more effectively. However, it is important to state that schools need to ensure that they can evidence that they have attempted to meet pupil’s needs with their delegated resources before a PFA can be requested.

Requesting a PFA

All requests for PFA will be considered by the SEN team at Cheshire Lines. Requests must include a completed PFA Request Form and accompanying evidence.

If the team agree that the provision to meet the pupil’s needs exceeds that usually available to mainstream schools (5 monetary units) additional monetary units of resource will be provided to supplement the provision made by school.

If the team refuse the request you will be notified in writing and given the reasons why.

Tel: 0151 522 7990

Early Years Providers can apply for additional funding to support the inclusion of children with additional needs in early education and childcare.

This fund is intended to support children in receipt of 2, 3 or 4-year-old funding to access their free entitlement. The Inclusive Practice Fund can be used to enhance staffing or allow staff to access Continued Professional Development (CPD) opportunities. For more information contact the Early Years Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) team on eysend@wirral.gov.uk or call 0151 666 3980.

Applications must be submitted by the provider – just download the application form below and submit to the Early Years SEND team via post/drop off at Ganneys Meadow School or any Wirral Children’s Centre email.

Inclusive Practice Fund Full Application Form

Inclusive Practice Fund Short Application Form

The below information was taken from www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare and was correct at the time of publishing.

You can get up to £500 every 3 months (£2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare.

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, the government will pay £2 for every £8 you pay your childcare provider. This is paid via an online childcare account that you set up for your child.

You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both.

You can use it to pay for approved childcare, for example: childminders, nurseries and nannies after school clubs and play schemes home care agencies

Your childcare provider must be signed up to the scheme before you can pay them and benefit from Tax-Free Childcare. Check with your provider to see if they’re signed up.

To check eligibility, please visit: www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

Easy Read Version

What is Universal Credit?

Universal Credit is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It replaces a range of benefits, commonly known as "legacy benefits" with a single monthly payment. This makes the move into work easier by combining in-work and out-of-work benefits.

There are no limits to the number of hours you can work in a week. Your Universal Credit payment will reduce gradually as you earn more, so you should not lose all your benefits at once if you're on a low income.

How much you’ll receive depends on your personal circumstances.

Universal Credit replaces:

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Income Support

Working Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit

Housing Benefit

Is help with my Council Tax included in Universal Credit?

Universal Credit does not provide help with your Council Tax payments. When you make a new claim for Universal Credit and you are liable to pay Council Tax we will use your Universal Credit award notice to work out how much Council Tax Support you may be entitled to.

If you are liable to pay Council Tax and need help to pay your bill you can apply for Council Tax Support from your Local Authority.

Who can claim Universal Credit?

Most people in Wirral will claim Universal Credit instead of claiming legacy benefits.

There are some people who will still claim Housing Benefit if they need help with their rent. Those groups are listed below.

Pensioners

If you are single and of pension age, or a couple and both of you are pension age, you can claim Housing Benefit. For couples were one of you is working age and your partner reaches pensionable age, you can only claim Universal Credit unless you are in one of the groups mentioned below.

People living in Specified Accommodation

Specified Accommodation is for people who need help and support and are living in accommodation where the landlord provides care, support or supervision. This support is part of their service charge included in the rent.

If you are living in Specified Accommodation you can still make a claim for Universal Credit for your living costs, but you will need to claim Housing Benefit to help meet your rent costs. You can also claim Council Tax Support to help pay your Council Tax bill.

People living in Temporary Accommodation

People claiming Universal Credit who have been placed in temporary accommodation by the local authority will need to claim Housing Benefit to help with their housing costs.

Find out more about Housing Benefit

How to make a claim for Universal Credit

Before you make a claim you and your partner will need:

a National Insurance number

a bank account

an email address

Make a claim for Universal Credit online

You can use a mobile phone, a tablet, or a computer at various One Stop Shop libraries, Jobcentre Plus and community-based groups.

In readiness for your claim you and your partner will need the following information:

details of rent costs

what you earn if you or your partner is working

childcare costs if you pay them

savings, capital and any other income you receive for example, Personal Independence Payments, Carers Allowance

What if I need help with my claim?

If you need help to make your claim for Universal Credit, you can go to your local Citizens Advice Wirral or Jobcentre Plus.

You will be guided through the online application and shown how to upload and attach any documentation you have to support your claim.

If you become entitled to Universal Credit, you may be eligible for Free School Meals for children in full time education who live with you and are not foster children, depending on how much you receive if you or your partner is working.

Discretionary Housing payments

If you receive housing costs payments in Universal Credit and are struggling to pay your rent, you can apply for additional financial support from Discretionary Housing Payments.

Advance payments

You can also ask for an advance payment, your identity must have been checked before you can receive this payment. You can ask for an advanced payment at the Jobcentre Plus or you can telephone freephone 0800 328 5644.

Most advanced payments are paid as a percentage of your likely entitlement. This money can be paid back over a period of up to 12 months.

Find out more about managing money