COVID-19 - Support for people who need help

Contents:

If you need general support

Call us:

Our Customer Services telephone number is 01793 445500. We're available to provide support from Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, except Tuesdays when we close at 4.00pm. If you wish, you can request a call back from someone who can talk to you about how to stay well and active at home.  

If you’re unable to call, please email customerservices@swindon.gov.uk.

Please read the privacy notice before you call, as will ask you for personal information.

Check in and chat:

The NHS Volunteer Responders programme 'check in and chat', which gives people who need help the chance to talk to a friendly voice on the telephone.

This can help if you're lonely, have had little or no contact with others, or are experiecing issues with confidence and self-esteem because of self-isolation.

You can find out how to register at the NHS Volunteer Responders website.

If you don't want to do this, or are not eligible, call Customer Services (details above) and we'll arrange a call back.

Mental health support:

You can find information on different ways to get help for your mental health and how to access this support from the Mental Health Foundation website.

If you need financial support

General financial support if your income has been affected by coronavirus

If you're in extreme hardship:

Please call us or complete the form at the bottom of the following webpage: Emergency assistance fund

We will assess your circumstances and decide on the most appropriate options to support you. These will include:

  • Food vouchers or boxes
  • Gas and electricity top-ups (not including British Gas)
  • Signpost you to local food banks
  • Refer you to Citizens Advice Swindon

If you have to self-isolate:

We are able to provide financial support to qualifying residents on low incomes who are unable to work because they have either:

  • tested positive for coronavirus, or
  • have been instructed to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace (and have been given your own unique Test and Trace number)

See if you are eligible to apply for a test and trace support payment.

Help with food

If you need help with food shopping, we'd encourage you to ask friends, family, neighbours or other networks for assistance. If this isn't possible, there are some options available.

Holiday activities and food programme

As part of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, we are providing healthy food and enriching activities to eligible children in Swindon over the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays.

See if you are eligible to apply for holiday activities and food programme funding.

Supermarket deliveries

If you registered online as needing support with food during the first lockdown, the government shared your data with supermarkets. This is so that they can give you priority access to delivery slots. 

If you haven't cancelled this, you should still be able to get priority access to delivery slots. 

Tesco and Iceland online shopping priority scheme

The government has set up a scheme with Tesco and Iceland offering priority online shopping slots to people who are self-isolating.

To access this scheme, please contact us on 01793 445500. You will be allocated a priority slot for your chosen supermarket (Tesco or Iceland). You will need to have access to the internet and be able to pay for your shopping online or have someone you trust to do this for you.

NHS Volunteer Responders

NHS Volunteer Responders can pick up your shopping and deliver it to you.

You can find out how to register at the NHS Volunteer Responders website.

If none of these options meets your needs, we may be able to do your shopping for you. Contact us (details above) to discuss this further.

Help with medication

If you need help with food shopping, we'd encourage you to ask friends, family, neighbours or other networks for assistance.

If this isn't possible, you can:

  • contact your pharmacy to ask them to help you find a volunteer to deliver it to you. This volunteer will have been ID-checked
  • get help from NHS Volunteer Responders. You can find out how to register at the NHS Volunteer Responders website
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