Emergency Assistance

When Emergency Assistance can help

Emergency Assistance can help in two types of situations – emergencies and where people need urgent help to get or keep a home.

Support in emergencies

We might be able to help if you need essential items or food after a disaster or in an emergency.

Urgent help to get or keep a home

We might be able to give support if you need help to get or keep a home and any of the following apply:

• you are returning to the community after leaving accommodation where you received care or supervision (for example, a care home, hostel or prison)
• you need to stay in the community so you don’t become homeless
• your family is at risk of being split up and our support would help keep you together
• you and your family are under exceptional pressure and our support would ease that pressure

You can apply for Emergency Assistance if all the following apply:

• you live in Cheshire East or are moving here because you have a connection to the area
• we consider you are vulnerable (we look at each claim individually to make decisions about vulnerability) 
• you get state benefits,
  or you are eligible for benefits under the Persons from Abroad rules,
  or you are on a low wage and have exceptional circumstances
• you can’t get the help you need from friends or relatives

We will expect you to work with us to find ways to resolve the problems that have caused the need for Emergency Assistance help. We will agree in advance what we expect you to do, and we will check that you do what is agreed.

How to apply for Emergency Assistance

To apply for Emergency Assistance, fill in our Emergency Assistance claim form.

Apply for Emergency Assistance

 You will need your National Insurance number and proof of identity.

You can apply over the phone if you can’t apply online. Call 0300 123 5013 and choose ‘emergency assistance’. We are open 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. 

Supporting evidence

The form tells you what evidence and information we will need from you. You can upload documents as you go through the form. 

You can also upload documents separately after submitting the form – don’t delay sending the form because you don’t have evidence ready.  Use the further details box in the form to tell us when you will be providing the documents.

To see what types of document we accept as evidence and to upload documents, see supporting evidence.

If you can’t upload your documents, you can take them to your local library.  You can post them to Benefits Section, Cheshire East Council, PO Box 622, Crewe, CW1 9JH.

If someone is helping you with your claim

If someone is helping with your claim and you want us to share information with them, you need to let us know you are happy for us to do so. See authority to discuss.

Where people are unable to manage their own financial affairs, an appointee can handle their benefits claims for them.

What happens after you apply

After you apply, we will look at your circumstances. We need to be able to contact you, so it is important you give us your phone number. If you don’t give us your number, it is unlikely your claim will be successful.

We will then phone you to tell you our decision. Where the situation is an emergency (for example you need a food parcel or emergency travel), we will get back to you within 1 working day. For other situations, we will get back to you within 5 working days. If we decide to give you Emergency Assistance, we will explain what we will do and what we expect you to do.

If you have a dependent child in your household, we will share your details with our children’s services team to see what help they can give you.

It is possible that we will not be able to help you if the money in our Emergency Assistance budget has all been spent.

There is a process you can follow if you disagree with our decision.

You (and your partner, if you have one) can normally get a maximum of one award of Emergency Assistance for an urgent housing situation and/or any support in emergencies in any 12 month period.

In exceptional circumstances if you are facing a crisis we may be able to help more than once a year.

You should apply and we will look at your case to see if we can help.

The Emergency Assistance Policy 2022 (PDF 338KB) - unchanged to date.

For more information and support from a range of organisations please see Live Well money matters (link opens in a new window).

Call customer services on 0300 123 5013 and choose the option ‘emergency assistance’.