Director's Message - 17th December 2020
Hillingdon Council COVID Winter Grant Scheme
Dear Colleagues,
We have added further clarification to our scheme details, highlighted in bold, below.
This scheme is available to provide support to vulnerable households and families with children affected by the pandemic during the winter period. The funding will be used to help those struggling to meet the cost of food and utility bills. As school holidays can be a particularly challenging time for families, anyone with children eligible for benefits-related free school meals will receive a COVID-19 winter payment.
The council is using the October 2020 school census data to identify FSM eligible families. In most cases we have the contact details / email address for eligible families and therefore we are making payments direct to families in the form of supermarket vouchers (for the two-week school break). We are also inviting families to apply for a payment towards the cost of their utility bills. We are working to make the payments for food by Monday 21 December (most payments will be made this week).
To ensure that payments reach eligible families in time for the Christmas break, we may need help from some schools to provide information to families because we do not have an up-to-date email address. Also, to identify new families that have recently become eligible. Schools would have received an email listing the families that we need schools to send an email to, asking them to complete an online form on the council's website. In many cases where a school needs to send emails to families, there will only be a small number of emails required.
For families without access to the internet, they can contact the council to go through the form questions verbally (contact details below).
Scheme details and the form can be accessed via - www.hillingdon.gov.uk/winter-grant (please add this to your school website).
Schools are welcome to share this scheme with their families. If eligible families do not have access to the internet, they are able to phone the council:
- Contact Centre tel.: 01895 558200 from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
- If families are experiencing issues with the form link or have any other queries they should email - wintergrant@hillingdon.gov.uk
Best wishes,
Dan
