Southwark Emergency Support Scheme: Crisis Help With Council Tax and Household Bills
What the Emergency Support Scheme Is
The Southwark Emergency Support Scheme (SESS) is administered by Southwark's Local Support Team and is separate from Council Tax Reduction. It is an emergency-support route for acute financial crises. Contact the team to confirm current eligibility and what assistance is available for your situation.
How to Access SESS
Contact Southwark's support line at 020 7525 2434 to ask how to apply. The Local Support Team handles applications directly. You don't need to go through Citizens Advice or another agency first, though having one involved can help if your situation is complex.
The Local Support Team conducts benefits checks and income maximisation for vulnerable residents. If you're not claiming everything you're entitled to — including Council Tax Reduction — ask whether they can help you start the process.
Who Qualifies
SESS is for residents facing an acute financial crisis, but the available information does not set out a full eligibility test or list every type of support. Contact the Local Support Team to check whether you qualify.
This is distinct from the Southwark Hardship Fund, which has specific eligibility criteria tied to disability benefits and welfare-reform impact. Do not assume that SESS has no benefit criteria or that it will cover a particular bill; ask the Local Support Team what support is available.
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The Hardship Fund Is Different
The Southwark Hardship Fund — which helps with Council Tax debt specifically — has a narrower gateway. To qualify for the Hardship Fund, you need to have lived in Southwark for at least three months, been financially affected by welfare reform changes since April 2013, and be receiving a qualifying disability benefit: DLA care or mobility, PIP daily living or mobility, Severe Disablement Allowance, ESA with the support component, or UC with the LCWRA element.
If you meet the Hardship Fund criteria, you may get direct help with Council Tax arrears. If you don't — because you're working-age without a qualifying disability benefit — SESS is the emergency route, though it covers broader crisis costs rather than specifically targeting council tax debt.
What SESS Can and Cannot Do
SESS is separate from CTR and the Step-by-Step debt service. Apply for CTR separately to reduce future Council Tax liability; use Step-by-Step to ask about a consolidated repayment plan for eligible debts. Ask the Local Support Team what emergency assistance it can provide.
Beyond Emergency Support
Once the immediate crisis is managed, make sure the longer-term protections are in place. Apply for Council Tax Reduction if you haven't already. Report any changes in circumstances that might affect your benefits. If you have council tax arrears, contact the free debt advice services — StepChange (0800 138 1111), National Debtline (0808 808 4000), or Citizens Advice Southwark — to set up a sustainable plan.
The Southwark Council Tax Reduction guide covers the full application process for CTR, including the hardship fund, backdating, and the evidence checklist — the permanent solutions that follow the emergency.
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