What is Emergency Relief?

Emergency relief services provide material support for people experiencing financial crisis. This may be in the form of food vouchers, limited household bill assistance, medical prescriptions, metropolitan travel vouchers, Telstra phone cards, Telstra bill assistance and small food parcels. We do not provide cash.

When we are unable to provide emergency relief services due to applicant ineligibility or lack of funds, we will provide service users with referrals to other agencies.

Eligibility Criteria: 

• Valid ID with current address
• Reside within: Aspendale, Aspendale gardens, waterways, Edithvale, Chelsea, Chelsea heights, Bonbeach, Carrum, Patterson lakes.

No appointment is necessary but the Emergency Relief Service finishes 30 minutes before closing time.

A trained volunteer Emergency Relief interviewer will conduct an interview with you to assess your needs.

• The interviewer will request information about your rent, bills and income
• There is no guarantee that we will be able to assist you with what you have requested.
• If we are unable to assist we will look for other options and referrals

Distribution Policy:

As our Emergency Relief Services funding is limited, please note the following:

• The limit for ChelCSS Emergency Relief Services is 3 times per year.
• We are not obliged nor funded to provide anyone with regular emergency relief.
• Service users experiencing ongoing crisis are encouraged to seek support from other support services such as Financial Counselling (Vic) Inc or our Support Program.

Please note: Requests for additional assistance beyond the limits will be considered but are to be made to the Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Your interviewer can assist with your application.

Referrals, Advocacy and Negotiation:

This may include:

• Referrals to other local agencies for food vouchers and material support
• Referrals to services that can help with complex problems
• Negotiation with essential service providers such as utility companies
• Advocacy, where a person has requested that our staff speak to a service or agency on their behalf (ie, ATO, Centrelink, Utility provider)

Privacy:

All information is confidential and accessed only by volunteers and staff within the agency. Information can only be passed on to third parties with client’s signed permission.

All files are securely stored and will be securely destroyed seven years after the date of a customer’s last file note.