Carers Support Merton is able to provide emergency support to unpaid Carers or families of Young Carers who find themselves unexpectedly unable to purchase essential food or top-up their pre-paid fuel meter.
Support is given through supermarket vouchers and pre-paid gas and electric vouchers.
Each household can apply for support up to TWICE in a 6 month period for either fuel OR food support, with applications no closer than 10 days apart.
This support is intended as ‘one-off’ crisis support and not ongoing support with food and fuel.
You will be asked to briefly explain the circumstances leading to you needing additional support with food and fuel.
You will receive your voucher either by text to a mobile phone or by email. If this is impossible for you, please telephone the office.
To qualify for support you must:
- Be an unpaid family Carer or parent/carer of a Young Carer registered with Carers Support Merton
(If you have previously been in contact with Carers Support Merton, you are probably registered with us. Please complete the form, and we will contact you if you need to register) - Be a London Borough of Merton resident
- Be in receipt of a means tested benefit or have a total household income less than £26,000 pa
- Be in demonstrable hardship and have a need for immediate emergency support with food or prepayment fuel
- Not applying for the reason that you have had your benefit entitlement suspended or sanctioned by the DWP, unless in the exceptional circumstance that it is a result of your caring role
- Not have access to any funds that can be relied on to meet the need you are applying for
- Have less than £500 in savings.
Carers Support Merton reserves the right to end the scheme when funds are exhausted.
This scheme is funded through the governments household support fund and so is only open to Carers living in Merton.
Support for Carers living outside Merton
If you do not live in Merton, but care for someone in Merton, then the person you care for can seek emergency support for their household from other emergency support schemes in Merton.
If you, as the Carer, do not live in Merton then you may be able to seek support for your household from your local borough’s scheme.
Links to information about help in neighbouring boroughs are listed below. Alternatively, you can google ‘household support fund borough’s name’ and you will be able to find information on the support you may be able to access.
