Manning Valley Cooperative Living Program

Downloads:

• Emergency Relief Flyer (147KB, PDF)
• Emergency Relief Services Directory (88KB, PDF)
  

Types of assistance available

Food packages, Coles food and fuel cards, Energy vouchers (EAPA), Telstra vouchers (TBAC), fruit & vegetable vouchers, meat vouchers, pharmaceutical assistance, bond assistance and other as determined by assessment.

Allocation of types of assistance is determined by the worker making the assessment.

Clients presenting with complex circumstances may be required to commit to a case plan which may involve other strategies which ensure that you are supported toward self reliance and provided with resources and tools to address your issues.

Emergency Relief Service Guidelines

To access this service please note the following:

1. Clients are required to arrange appointments in advance for assistance. To make an appointment please call 65535121. If you fail to arrive for your scheduled appointment it will be cancelled.
2. No cash assistance is given. Cheques or vouchers will be issued to a third party only.
3. To access Emergency Relief you must have:
   a.    current identification showing your current residential address;
   b.    documented evidence of your overall financial situation (this includes paid and/or unpaid bills), receipts, income (payslip or Centrelink statement of benefit);
   c.    documented evidence of your current financial situation (most recent bank statement);
   d.    original bills (that you need assistance to pay);
   e.    referrals from other agencies may be taken into consideration.
4. Assistance is dependent on the client meeting these guidelines and availability of assistance. Assistance is not provided on an ongoing basis.  Emergency Relief is only available for clients based on the workers assessment and discretion.
5. Clients may be required to show evidence of steps they have taken to address their situation. Clients may be required and assisted to establish payment plans with utility providers. Clients may be required to attend financial counselling.
6. Clients who do not meet these guidelines may not be eligible for financial assistance. Appropriate referrals may be requested and/or provided.

For more information or to make an appointment, please phone the Neighbourhood Centre on 6535121, Monday to Thursday, 9am to 3pm.

Client Privacy Statement

Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services Inc (MVNS) sometimes asks clients and service users to provide personal details so that we may assist you. MVNS Inc. will take reasonable steps to keep all information which we hold (including your personal information) confidential and safe. Within this Emergency Relief organisation all staff (including volunteers) having access to confidential information are subject to confidentiality obligations. If we do not need to keep the information you provide to us it will be shredded to protect your privacy.

In some circumstances it may be necessary for MVNS to share the information you provide to us so that we may assist you. Information will not be shared with another service or agency without your express written permission.

There are times when MVNS will not keep some information private. When we become aware of child abuse or neglect or if you express a desire to harm yourself or others we have a legal obligation to let the appropriate agencies or government departments know.

You can request at any time personal information we may hold about you. We will endeavour to assist you with this as soon as possible. We will only provide information about you to you and nobody else (including friends or relatives). We may refuse to provide access to information held about you in situations where the National Privacy Principles allow us to do so. If we refuse access we will give you a reason for doing so.

MVNS also keeps non-identifying statistical data regarding patterns of service use by the public. None of this information identifies individuals in any way. You have a right to deny collection of any personal information at any time, for any reason.

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy or practices or if you would like more information please contact us at MVNS on 6553 5121 and ask to speak to the Manager.

Energy Account Payment Assistance: Personal Details and Privacy Notice

The Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability (DEUS) issues Energy Account Payment  Assistance (EAPA) vouchers to assist energy consumers experiencing an emergency or financial crisis. The following information will be provided to DEUS by the customer's energy retailer:

• EAPA user's account number
• EAPA user's supply address (including postcode)
• The number of vouchers and dollar amount of EAPA issued
• Account payment date
• EAPA voucher numbers
• Account balance prior to EAPA use and after EAPA use (cash contribution by customer)

This information is held and used by DEUS to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the EAPA Scheme. Aggregated analysis of EAPA information may be provided to other government agencies.

You may choose not to provide personal information during the EAPA application process but you may not be eligible for EAPA assistance, as this is a compulsory requirement. If you choose to provide personal information and feel that your personal information requires correction or alteration, you may contact DEUS:

Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability
Energy Account Payment Assistance Coordinator
Phone: (02) 8281 7712        Fax: (02) 8281 7750   

Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability
GPO Box 3889
SYDNEY   NSW   2001