 We understand that these are very challenging times and we are here to help. If you are in financial hardship due to the pandemic you may be eligible for financial support through the COVID Winter Grant Scheme.
Already, we have issued more than 1,000 grants totalling £228,000 to help people pay for food, shopping, utility and water bills, and essential household supplies.
Those who currently have support from professionals such as social and care workers should work with their provider to make an application. In addition, individuals can make an online application independently. Deadline to apply: 15 March 2021.
We are working our way through applications as quickly as possible.
Apply to COVID Winter Grant Scheme
As part of the Scheme we are also making Free School Meal vouchers available for eligible 5 to 16 year old pupils during the Christmas and February school holidays (17 days in total). So far, we’ve also issued around 4,000 Free School Meals vouchers. Check with your school for more details.
"It’s a sign of how quickly things are moving that we spent just a day in Tier 3 before facing even tougher restrictions to help kerb the rapid spread of coronavirus. Like many people we watched the Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday afternoon anxiously wondering what it would mean for us in West Berkshire.
"We knew that cases in West Berkshire had been rising quickly, however it was still disappointing if not entirely surprising to learn that we had been placed in the new Tier 4, along with the rest of Berkshire."
Read the latest Weeknote from the Leader and Chief Executive.
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Unfortunately, the new restrictions has meant a change to prior Christmas guidelines, with Christmas bubble arrangements no longer valid. As we are in Tier 4, you should not meet people indoors at Christmas, unless they are a part of your household or support bubble. Outdoors, you can only meet one person from another household.
The government has announced that individuals who have had to cancel rail or coach journeys for 23-27 December due to the restrictions will be entitled to a cash refund. This will apply to journeys in England booked on or after 24 November, when the Christmas travel window was announced.
We understand that many of you would have made plans and were looking forward to spending time with loved ones. However, it is important that we are protecting ourselves and loved ones by following the rules.
See additional information on Christmas travel refund arrangements.
 Our Community Support Hub is here to people who need extra assistance due to the impact of coronavirus. If you need support contact the Community Support Hub by phone on 01635 503579, by email, or via our online form.
The Community Support Hub is open during office hours between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Thursday, or between 8.30am and 4.30pm on Friday.
Please note that the Hub will be closed from 24 to 28 December and will reopen on 29 December. For emergencies during this time, please call 01635 42161.
During this period the NHS Volunteer Responders can provide urgent support to collect or deliver shopping, medication or other essential supplies or help with transport for people who are self isolating, clinically extremely vulnerable or are a carer.
Contact NHS Volunteer Responders online or by telephone 0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week).
Many community groups in West Berkshire are already offering support and will continue to do so over the Christmas and New Year Period - to find out about the community group nearest you, please visit here.
Thames Valley Police continues to respond to reports of Covid-19 legislation breaches
Thames Valley Police are prioritising calls that they receive about COVID-19 breaches to those that appear to pose the biggest risk to health as well as those relating to repeat offences. Officers engage, explain and encourage compliance with the guidance on a daily basis, but also use enforcement with the law where it is necessary and proportionate to do so.
Although only COVID legislation and not guidance can be enforced, Thames Valley Police also uses existing legislation where breaches are linked to anti-social behaviour in properties and it has pursued closure orders on some properties as a result.
Thames Valley Police is also working closely with the Public Protection Partnership to ensure a joint approach is taken to businesses where responsibilities around enforcement and compliance are shared.
For more information visit the Public Protection Partnership website and Thames Valley Police’s advice page. The Public Protection Partnership can be contacted by email at tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk or phone on 01635 519930.
There is significant financial support available to businesses who have been affected by the coronavirus restrictions.
So far, we've distributed almost £1m in grants to businesses who had to close in November, with further funding being issued every day to those in need. We have also issued £150,000 of grants to those who may not have had to close but who have seen a significant loss of trade as a result of the national and local restrictions.
Financial support continues to be available to businesses including:
- The Local Restrictions Support Grant supports rate-paying businesses that have been forced to close or have been directly affected by restrictions. We have streamlined the application process for this grant so that you now able to submit one form to receive your entitlement for all time periods.
- A flat rate £1000 grant to pubs who can demonstrate that 50% or more of their income derives from the sale of alcoholic beverages. To supplement this grant, West Berkshire Council will match this grant from its own funds to help businesses through what would usually be their busiest trading time
- We are also running the Additional Restrictions Grant scheme to support businesses that may have been missed by other schemes or require further assistance.
Please see our business information page for more information. We will update this page if there is a change in the payment guidance due to Tier 4 restrictions.
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