Crisis payments

Crisis payments give quick, short-term help to Oldham residents who suddenly run into money problems and can’t afford basic needs.

You don’t have to be on benefits to apply. We help residents on a low income or in a financial crisis, whether you’re working, self-employed, or on benefits.

What counts as a crisis?

A crisis is an unexpected event or sudden change in circumstances that creates a risk to your health, safety, or ability to remain in your home.

Examples of a crisis:

  • Fire, flood or other sudden damage to the home
  • Fleeing domestic abuse or immediate safety concerns
  • Leaving care, prison, detention, hospital, residential care or supported accommodation
  • Sudden illness, disability, bereavement or relationship breakdown that creates immediate hardship.

These are examples only. We will always consider your individual circumstances.

Help

Support is short-term and focused on your immediate needs following a crisis. The type of help offered will depend on your individual circumstances.

Immediate essentials:

  • Food
  • Toiletries and personal hygiene items
  • Sanitary products
  • Baby items such as nappies

Essential household items:

  • Beds and bedding
  • Essential furniture
  • White goods such as a fridge, cooker or washing machine
  • Kitchen starter packs

Energy and fuel:

  • Fuel support
  • Energy top ups

Essential travel:

  • To get to work
  • To get to education or training
  • To get to essential health appointments

Who can apply

To apply for a Crisis Payment, you must:

  • Be aged 16 or over
  • Live in Oldham Borough or be able to demonstrate you are about to become a resident
  • Be facing an immediate crisis that you cannot resolve without help
  • Be unable to meet your essential needs from your own resources

How to apply

Applications are made online and you will need to upload evidence as part of the application process so that we can assess your circumstances.

If you need help with applying or have questions about the scheme you can call us on 0161 770 5468.

Crisis payments application form

Free Wi-Fi and computers are available at all Oldham Libraries and the Customer Service Centre in Spindles. We may also have staff available in the Customer Service Centre to help you complete the application.

A professional referrer i.e. support worker, social worker, or charity can also apply on your behalf with your consent.

Evidence you will need to provide

To support your application, you will be asked to upload some evidence. This will include:

  • Proof of identity such as a valid passport, valid driving licence, birth certificate
  • Proof of address such as a current council tax bill, valid driving licence, or recent utility bill
  • Bank statements covering the last three months for all accounts, including savings accounts, to help us understand your financial situation
  • Proof of income, such as wage slips, self-employment income, or recent benefit award letters

To support your application, you may also need to provide proof of your crisis and circumstances such as:

  • Evidence of your crisis, such as a fire report, hospital discharge letter, or support worker letter
  • Details of what you need and why you cannot pay for it

If you are struggling to gather evidence, please give us a call and we will do our best to help. You can save a partially completed application form and return to it once you have your evidence ready to upload and then submit the application.

What happens after you apply

  1. Once all evidence is received, we will review your application: We’ll look at your situation, what’s happened, what help you need, and if there’s other support available. We’ll do this as quickly as we can, usually within 2 working days.
  2. We will let you know the outcome: We’ll contact you by phone, letter or email to let you know our decision and what happens next.
  3. Support is arranged: If your application is successful, we’ll tell you what help you’ll get and how you’ll receive it.
  4. We may contact you with other services: Whatever the decision, we’ll tell you about other local services that may be able to help you in the longer term.

If you are unhappy with a decision

If you don’t agree with our decision, you can ask us to explain it or ask for a review. Please contact us within 10 working days of getting your decision.

You can do this by:

Your review will be carried out by someone who was not involved in the original decision.

We’re here to help

We understand that asking for help during a crisis can be difficult. Our team will consider your situation carefully and treat you with dignity and respect.

If we cannot provide support through this scheme, we will try to connect you with other services that may be able to help.

If you are unsure whether you qualify, we encourage you to get in touch. We are here to support you.

Policy