COVID-19 - Support for people who need help
Contents:
- If you need general support
- If you need financial support
- If you need help with food
- If you need help with medication
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
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.
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.
You can register for support on the GOV.UK website if you didn't do this during the first lockdown.
You will then create an account at your chosen supermarket and they will contact you further. If you can't do this yourself, or need assistance, contact us on 01793 445500.
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 (details above). 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