Professional Development

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The Women’s Organisation:

The Women’s Organisation have a variety of programmes of support on offer, from personal development courses to business support. These can all be found here: The Women’s Organisation Events | Eventbrite.

 

Building Better Opportunities/Better Off Fund

 The Better Off Fund is a fully-funded employment help support package available to individuals in the Liverpool City Region who are currently:

• Unemployed
• Looking to upskill,
• Retrain, or
• Enhance their employment and career prospects.

The Better Off Fund aims to provide the employment help you need to get back on your feet.

The programme helps break down financial barriers by offering full and complete access to our services, without it putting any additional pressure on your finances. It offers a range of free courses for the unemployed, including managing your personal finances, building your confidence, and preparing for interviews.  In addition, participants will be given travel and lunch expenses, small grants for digital resources – such as mobile phone top ups, data dongles, WiFi etc – as well as access to free childcare to support single parents.

The Better Off Fund is open to those who are unemployed or economically inactive in the Liverpool City Region (Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, Wirral, St Helens, or Halton)

We advise our clients to fill out our self-assessment evaluation to help us understand the best pathway for them. – https://www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk/better-off-fund/

These courses can be found here: Building Better Opportunities | Eventbrite

 

Advice Skills Academy

We have a variety of courses, including accredited courses, for those who are looking to upskill or retrain in the workplace. These can include digital marketing and managing a project. ASA -Business & Career | Eventbrite 

 

Enterprise Hub Programme

Through the Enterprise Hub Programme, we offer fully funded business start-up advice, through a combination of group workshop sessions and one to one meetings with our business advice team. You can find out more about the programme here – https://enterprisehublcr.org.uk/start-a-business/

If you have any queries, please contact us either by phone (0151 706 8113) or email (hello@thewo.org.uk)

 

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre plus – Discounted travel card 50% of travel (Gov.uk)

This is provided to those unemployed claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit for 3-9 months (18-24 year olds) or 3-12 months (over 25s) can apply through their Work Coach and local Jobcentre Plus.

Other benefit recipients may receive a Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card from 3 months of their claim and if they are actively engaged with a Jobcentre Plus adviser. Cardholders are entitled to a 50% discount on selected rail tickets.

Contact your nearest Jobcentre for more information at https://find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/

​​​​​​​The rail industry is raising awareness of its Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card to help more people get back to work, as new figures show that take-up has dropped by nearly a third since the start of the pandemic. See Rail Delivery Group’s latest press release.

 

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL

Liverpool Citizens Support Scheme

If you find yourself in crisis you can apply for support to get food and basic necessities for you and your family including gas and electric vouchers (urgent needs) and furniture and household essentials (home needs). 

You may need support in an emergency or crisis such as a fire or flood, or you have had to move due to violence or fear of violence, or you are leaving care or prison and need support to stay in the community.

We may also be able to provide support if you are struggling financially and unable to pay the council’s green waste collection charge.

Am I eligible for support?

If you live in Liverpool or you’re moving to the area, you can apply for support if you are over 16 and unemployed or on a low income, or receive any of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit only)
• Tax Credits
• Personal Independence Payments
• Universal Credit

We can also help if you are leaving care or need support to stay in the community after an emergency or crisis.

How to apply

Call Freephone 0800 456 1523 or 0151 233 3053 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

You will need to confirm your identity and address and we will get in touch with you if we need further information to support your application.

Funding for the scheme is limited and we need to consider the number of people applying for help and what funds are available.

How many times can I apply for a home needs or urgent needs award?

There is normally a limit of two awards in a 12-month period following the date you receive your first award. 

If you receive a home needs and urgent needs award as part of your first application, this counts as one award.

However, we know that additional problems or crises occur and in special circumstances we may consider making another award. 

What happens next?

Where possible, we will let you know our decision within two working days for urgent needs and 15 working days for home needs. If we need more information it may take longer.

If you are unhappy with our decision you can ask for a review by emailing LCSS@liverpool.gov.uk or write to Liverpool Citizen Support Scheme, Revenues and Benefits Service, Cunard Building, Water Street, L3 1AH.

You can also call the Freephone helpline on 0800 456 1523 or 0151 233 3053 Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

How will I receive an award?

Urgent needs

We will email or text you a voucher or you can collect it from any One Stop Shop if you don’t have a mobile or email.

We give paper Energy vouchers for fuel costs.

You can cash in the vouchers at PayPoint outlets across the city.

Home needs

The Furniture Resource Centre will contact you to arrange free delivery, which is normally 10 working days from the order date.

If you have been awarded quality used goods you can select the item directly from Bulky Bob’s Furniture World, 129-139 London Road. Items will be delivered for free and have a three-month warranty.

Installation is included for gas/electric cookers. We can arrange furniture assembly for you – please tell the adviser to include this on your application or mention it to us when we contact you about your claim.

What if items become damaged or broken?

All white goods are new and come with a 12-month warranty. You should complete and return the warranty to the manufacturer when your goods arrive to validate the warranty. If you don’t, faulty items may not be replaced.

Report damages or faults with any other new items to the Furniture Resource Centre on 0151 702 0550 or email sales@frcgroup.co.uk.

• (TURN2US)
• https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/discounts-and-offers/

 

Check what help you can get from your local council

Your local council might help you pay for things like:

• your energy and water bills
• food
• essential items – for example, clothes or an oven This help is known as ‘welfare assistance’ or the ‘Household Support Fund’. Each council runs their own scheme. The help they offer and who can get it varies. 
• Ask your local council if they run a welfare assistance or Household Support Fund scheme. You can find out how to contact your local council on GOV.UK.

You don’t have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council. If you do get benefits, they won’t be affected if you start getting money from a welfare assistance or Household Support Fund scheme.

Check what help you can get from the government

The government will give every household in Great Britain £400 off their electricity bill. This is called the Energy Bills Support Scheme. You don’t need to do anything to get the money and you won’t have to pay it back.

You’ll get the £400 in 6 instalments starting from October 2022. You’ll get:

• £66 in October and November
• £67 in December, January, February and March

If you have an electricity meter and pay your bills every month or quarterly, your supplier will automatically take the amounts off your energy bill each month.

If you have a prepayment meter, your supplier will confirm how you’ll get the £400 closer to October 2022. They’ll either:

• automatically add the instalments to your energy meter 
• give you the instalments as vouchers by email, text or post

If you get vouchers, you’ll only be able to use them for your own energy account.

If your household is in council tax A-D, you should have received a £150 council tax rebate from the government. You should have got this in April 2022 – you don’t need to pay it back.

If you haven’t got your council tax rebate, you should contact your local council. You can find your local council on GOV.UK.

The government will also send you extra one-off payments if you:

• get certain benefits – for example, Universal Credit, PIP or Attendance Allowance
• are over State Pension age and get Winter Fuel Payments

You can get as many of these extra payments as you’re eligible for. You won’t have to pay tax on them and they won’t count as income when calculating your benefits.