Free School Meals -
Your child may be eligible for free school meals if you meet the following criteria:-
* Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as
assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods);
* Income Support;
* Income-based Job Seekers Allowance;
* Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
* Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190);
* Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
* Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit;
* Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit;
If you feel that you meet any of the criteria listed above, please apply for free school meals, as you may then be entitled to other support.
Applications need to be made directly to Walsall Council on their website -
* Income Support;
* Income-based Job Seekers Allowance;
* Income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
* Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190);
* Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
* Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit;
* Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit;
If you feel that you meet any of the criteria listed above, please apply for free school meals, as you may then be entitled to other support.
Applications need to be made directly to Walsall Council on their website -
Walsall Housing Group
If you rent your home from Walsall Housing Group, they offer advice or support on several issues including rent, money issues and benefits.
You can find out more about how to contact them at:-
or call them on 0300 555 6666.
Walsall Council
If you rent your home from a private landlord, or you own your own home, Walsall Council Benefits Department can help if you are having difficulty paying your rent or Council Tax. You can contact them by:-
Visiting their First Stop Shop at Walsall Council, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1XU.
Telephone - 0300 555 2855 (ask for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction enquiries)
Email - BenefitsService@walsall.gov.uk
Ablewell Advice Walsall
Ablewell Advice offer debt and benefit advice, including filling in PIP and Child Disability Allowance forms and can also offer benefit checks to ensure people are on the correct rates of benefits.
If you would like to make an appointment, they are located at: The Central Hall, Ablewell Street, Walsall WS1 2EQ. Their opening hours are: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30am-3pm.
They also operate a foodbank, which is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10am-2pm and Saturdays 11am - 1pm. Telephone: 01922 639700, email info@ablewelladvice.org.uk or access their website at www.ablewelladvice.org.uk.
Bridging the Gap
Bridging the Gap are based at 79a Stafford Street, Willenhall, WV13 1RT.
They are also able to provide financial advice, support with applying for benefits and debt counselling.
They are open Monday - Friday 10.00am-4.00pm (3.00pm on Thursdays).
Telephone: 01902 606615.
Walsall Carers’ Centre
Walsall Carers’ Centre, offer help and guidance to all carers who provide care for a relative or friend of any age who, because of illness or disability, cannot manage without help.
They are based at: 1st Floor, The Crossing at St Paul’s, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1DA, (next to Walsall Bus Station).
Their helpline number is: 01922 636663
email contact@walsallcarers.org
Walsall School Nursing Service
Walsall School Nursing Service provides support and advice on a range of health issues.
They can be contacted by:-
Telephone - 01922 423349
Text Line - 07520 634 909
Walsall Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Support (SENDIAS) - Provides free and impartial support to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and their parents and carers. They can be contacted by:-
Telephone Phone: 0808 802 6666
Email Walsallsendiass@family-action.org.uk
Other organisations that provide support for children and young people with SEND include:-
· Walsall Speech and Language Therapy - Provides a range of services to children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) and/or feeding and swallowing difficulties.
Email: SLTinfo@walsall.nhs.uk Tel: 01922 605400
· Autism West Midlands - Providing support for children and adults with Autism and their families.
· Child and Adolescent Mental Health Community Services (CAMHS) – (Dudley & Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust) – Provide support for children and families with Mental Health issues.
Black Country Women’s Aid Services
We believe that no-one should have to live in fear of violence and abuse. We listen, we support, we care. Over 30 years we have developed a range of support services to cope with, and recover from, the traumatic effects of abuse and exploitation.
Contact Information: info@blackcountrywomensaid.co.uk
01922 649 569
The Cedar Centre Walsall
The Rock Centre
27-31 Lichfield Street
Walsall, WS1 1TE
The Rock Centre
27-31 Lichfield Street
Walsall, WS1 1TE
The Trussell Trust
Support a nationwide network of food banks and together we provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.
Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non-perishable, in-date food to a food bank. Large collections often take place as part of seasonal celebrations such as harvest and Christmas, and food is also collected at supermarkets.
Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and store it ready to be given to people who are referred to food banks in crisis. More than 40,000 people give up their time to volunteer at food banks across the UK.
Food banks partner with a wide range of care professionals such as doctors, teachers, health visitors and social workers to identify people in crisis and give them a food bank voucher to access emergency food.
People bring their voucher to a food bank centre where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers welcome people and offer them further support to help resolve the crisis they face.
Call for free to talk confidentially to a trained Citizens Advice adviser on:
0808 208 2138
(open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)
They can help address your crises and provide support to maximise your income, help you navigate the benefits system, and identify any additional grants you could be entitled to. If needed, they’ll issue you with a voucher so you can get an emergency food parcel from your local food bank.