Support in Greater Manchester
A directory of financial support that is available in Greater Manchester.
Emergency support in Oldham
You may be eligible for Local Welfare Support to help you in an emergency, such as meeting a short-term need or to help you to sustain your tenancy. You can check availablity and make a claim at Local Welfare Provision (financialassessments.co.uk) or by calling 0161 770 5468 (9am - 5pm Monday to Friday).
Household support fund
The Household Support Fund is a grant provided by the Department for Work and Pensions to help low-income households experiencing financial hardship. Further funding has been agreed for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 and this is being used to help vulnerable people and families. Visit your local council's website for details on how they are using the fund.
Help with energy bills
- Rochdale Household Support Fund
- Rossendale Household Support Fund
- Tameside Household Support Fund
- Trafford Household Support Fund
- Warm Homes Oldham
- HACT – Energy Hardship Fund
- British Gas Energy Trust
- Simple Energy Advice
- Help with benefits and money - Oldham
- Citizens Advice - Energy Advice every Tuesday from 9am to 3pm at Oldham Library, Greaves Street, Oldham, OL1 1AL
- Age UK Oldham - General Advice, Money and Benefits
- Welfare Benefits advice and representation – Greater Manchester
- Action Together - Oldham, Rochdale & Tameside
- Entitledto - Benefits Calculator
- Scottish Power Community Hardship Fund
- Ovo Energy
- E.ON Next Energy Fund
- Bulb Energy Fund
- Octopus Energy
Help with food
Households with children that are eligible for free school meals can access free holiday clubs, where they will be provided with healthy meals and take part in fun and creative activities. This is being offered via all local authorities and customers should contact their local council to book on to these.
- Oldham Foodbanks
Unit B, Prince of Wales Industrial Units,
Vulcan Street, Oldham, OL1 4ER - Shaw & Crompton Churches Together, The Salvation Army,
Farrow Street East, Shaw, OL2 8QY
Phone: 0161 622 1061
Email: Info@oldham.foodbank.org.uk - Rochdale Foodbank
8 South Parade, Rochdale, OL16 1LR
Phone: 01706 713701 - Heywood Foodbank
Adelaide Street, Heywood OL10 4HE - Middleton - Lighthouse Project
S6b/c Middleton Shopping Centre, Limetree Road, Middleton, M24 4EL
Phone: 0161 643 1163
Open Monday and Thursday 11am till 1pm or Tuesday and Friday for emergency with a voucher. - The Core Pantry - Macclesfield
Thursday 12:15pm - 2:45pm
Weekly subscription of £3.50
Email: core.pantry@gmail.com - Hollinwood Food Club (open every Thursday from 11am to 1pm)
St Chads Centre
Limegreen Parade
Limehurst Village
Oldham, OL8 3HH - The Bread & Butter Thing - Trafford - Providing food and women's sanitary products to those in need
- Nantwich Foodbank
- Middlewich and District Foodbank
- Rochdale Household Support Fund
- Rossendale Household Support Fund
- Tameside Food Partnership
- Tameside Household Support Fund
- Trafford Household Support Fund
- Gov.uk Search
- Trussell Trust Foodbank Search
- Turn2us
Help with school uniforms
Help with school uniforms varies between schools and local authorities. Those in need of assistance should contact their child’s school directly.
Help with rent
Discretionary Housing Payments
- Discretionary Housing Payments | Housing Benefit and help to pay your rent | Oldham Council
- About Discretionary Housing Payments | Discretionary Housing Payment | Rochdale Borough Council
- Extra help with your housing costs | Rossendale Borough Council
- Discretionary Housing Payments (tameside.gov.uk)
- Discretionary housing payments (trafford.gov.uk)
- Vicars Relief Fund
Email: vrf@stmartinscharity.org.uk
Phone: 020 3795 5746 (voicemail only) - M3 Project - Providing accomodation and support to young homeless or sofa-surfing people aged 16-21
Help with white goods and household items
- Lancashire County Council Essential Household Goods Support Scheme
- Rochdale Household Support Fund
- Glasspool Charity Trust
- United Utilities Trust Fund
- Renew - Recycle for Greater Manchester : Recycle for Greater Manchester
- United Utilities Trust Fund
- Oldham - Bulky Bob's Furniture World
Unit A, Oldham Central Trading Park, Oldham OL1 4EB
Tel: 0161 665 031 - Sawn Furniture Hub - Oldham
- Arkwright Street Renew Shop
Sell pre-loved household items donated by residents at their local household waste recycling centre.
Arkwright Street, Chadderton, Oldham, OL9 9ALZ
Help for people with disabilities and special needs
- Contact - for families with disabled children | Contact
- Birkdale Trust: grants for people with a hearing impairment
- Children today: for specialised equipment and services
- Family Action: for families living with poverty, ill health and social isolation
- Family Fund: for lower-income families with a severely disabled child
- Family Holiday Association: for low-income families who need of a break
- Lifeline 4 kids: essential equipment to improve quality of life
- Meningitis Now: to deal with the impact of meningitis.
- New Life Foundation: for seriously disabled or terminally ill children.
- Smile for Life: access to funding from charities and organisations.
- Turn to us: access to welfare benefits, charitable grants
- The Variety Club: to provide vital daily items
- Fast Grants: access to smaller amounts of funding for good ideas without the red tape
Help for families with young children
- We Can Help - Families | Oldham Council
- If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you buy healthy foods like milk or fruit, or vitamins at Get help to buy food and milk
- You can get free dental products for 3–5 year-olds at Boots stores. Just ask a member of staff for “Jesse” in store
- Emergency essentias for children BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme - Family Fund Business Services (familyfundservices.co.uk)