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Due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), we will now be providing regular email updates for residents to let you know about the latest information we have and any changes to local services that may be affected.
If you do not wish to receive these updates please click on “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the page.
You can check the latest information on our website at any time by going to https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/coronavirus.
Our online library never closes
Rotherham Council’s online library service is a great place to go for adults and children wanting to learn and keep their minds occupied as people spend more time at home during the coronavirus restrictions.
Online library services include:
- A wide range of e-books, e-magazines and e-audio available to lend (borrow up to ten at any one time free for up to three weeks)
- Access to a large choice of adult learning courses
- Lots of free resources for young people, including activities and games for young children and links to free audio books.
And meanwhile, on https://www.facebook.com/RothLibraries/, there are a wide range of activities for children to take part in, including:
- Mondays – a weekly Lego Club challenge will invite children to share photos of their best imaginative Lego creations based on a weekly theme.
- Tuesdays – a live-stream rhymetime for pre-school children at 2.30pm.
- Wednesdays – Children’s Writing Challenge. These will be split into three age groups. A piece from each group will be chosen to be showcased the following week and read out online by a member of the library team.
Support for Rotherham businesses tops £12 million
There’s been an encouraging take-up of grants and Business Rates relief schemes administered by Rotherham Council.
So far, the Council has processed and paid 1,130 Business Support Grants to local companies, equating to £12,475,000.
These payments will go a long way to ensuring the future of those businesses, making sure that staff get paid and will ultimately help our local economy to recover when we get through this.
A number of businesses have contacted us to say thank you for the speed at which we have processed payments. We’d urge any company yet to apply for support to do so as soon as possible – lets keep jobs and investment in Rotherham – see the link below.
And to customers, please continue to support local firms when you can – they need your business more than ever.
Please keep supporting Rotherham Markets
Rotherham Markets are now closed from Monday to Thursday, but remain open on Fridays and Saturdays from 8.30am to 2pmfor you to purchase essential food items.
If you’re unable to shop in person, we’re pleased to report that a number of traders are offering a delivery service and can be contacted via the following or by visiting their Facebook pages:
Ellis Fresh Fruit & Veg – 07766 525888
K.D.Davis & Sons – The Greengrocers – 01302 965810
Scott Driver Local Greengrocer – 07500 505350
JOES FRESH MEATS LTD – 01709 373397
Ann’s Candy – 07706 148039
Delivery is subject to availability and you will need to contact each business for more details.
Humanitarian effort continues
The Rotherham Community Hub is continuing to experience a significant increase in the number of people requesting support, with over 560 requests for help.
So far, the Council and its partners working through the hub, have supported with the distribution of 15.52 tonnes of food from Fairshare, with a retail value of £27,022, to people across Rotherham (from 16th March to 2nd April – FareShare data).
To ensure food parcels reach those most in need, all cases have to be referred by Council officers or the Department for Work and Pensions.
We also want to hear from people who need support with collecting food or medicine on their behalf, dog walking or help to combat loneliness – tasks which will be picked up by the Rotherham Hero volunteer scheme.
If you know someone who is isolated and needs this type of support, please make a request using the link below.
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Extra Council Tax support for hardest-hit residents
Rotherham residents whose incomes have been hit hard are being urged to check if they are eligible for a discount on their Council Tax.
If you have been made redundant, lost regular working hours or had your pay reduced in the last few weeks, you may be entitled to Council Tax benefit.
The Hardship Fund is now live and means:
- All current Working Age recipients of Local Council Tax Support will receive additional Council Tax Support of £200, to be deducted from their 2020/21 Council Tax bill
- Any new recipients with eligible claims for Council Tax Support, up to and including 31st May 2020, will receive additional Council Tax Support of £200 to be deducted from their 2020/21 Council Tax bill
- Where the 2020/21 Council Tax bill is less than £200, the bill will be reduced to zero.
- Where a 2020/21 Council Tax bill has been paid or partially paid and the application of the additional support generates a credit, a refund will be issued.
- New bills will be issued to reflect the additional Council Tax support.
Rotherham Council, which is responsible for administering the national Hardship Fund scheme in the borough, has opted to set the discount at £200 per household – which is higher than the £150 proposed by Government.
The discount will be automatically made to more than 13,000 working age household claimants of Council Tax Support payments in Rotherham, which includes working people on low incomes, people with disabilities and the unemployed.
Households which are now eligible for the scheme because their income has been severely hit at the current time, are being urged to apply for help as soon as possible.
Anyone struggling with their Council Tax bill, which could include people who’ve lost a significant part of their household’s income, may be eligible to make a claim and should fill out the Council Tax Support form on the Council’s website
The page includes an eligibility checker, so potential claimants can submit details of their finances to see if they are entitled to the hardship fund support. The eligibility criteria is set nationally by the Government.
For details about the Local Council Tax Support offer visit our website:
Report concerns to the Police online
South Yorkshire Police have created a dedicated reporting form on their website where you can report concerns about people congregating in groups and flouting social distancing restrictions.
Using the online form will allow officers to respond in line with the powers and legislation provided to police.
Please don’t call 101 or 999 to report these breaches, unless it is an emergency or you need a police response.
Stay home, protect the NHS, keep Rotherham safe.
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