Community Computers – Agency Referral Information

Thank you for visiting our referral page. This page helps to provide useful information to agencies that want to refer their clients to us for our discounted technology scheme.

This scheme is open to residents of Stockport, Trafford and Manchester City Councils. 

Please see the sections below regarding eligibility. 

Please be sure to read the below information regarding the scheme before referring a client to us.  This will help to avoid any problems using our scheme.

Who is Eligible

Our eligibility criteria has recently changed – please be sure to check it before contacting us., 

The scheme is for people that are specifically on a low-income and need assistance accessing affordable technology.  Therefore our eligibility criteria is designed to reflect your levels of income.  We will ask to evidence of your entitlement and address. 

Devices are also limited to 1 per household over an 18 month window. – should your device fail within this window, you can get in touch with us and ask us to consider your situation. 

Anyone in receipt of the following means-tested benefits is entitled to purchase from the scheme.

  • Council Tax Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Income Support
  • Attendance or Carers Allowance
  • Pension Credit
  • Social Fund:
  • Cold Weather Payment
  • Sure Start Maternity Grant
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit

We know that personal circumstances can be complex, so if you don’t meet the criteria above please do still get in touch and we can talk about your needs

Area areas we cover

Our scheme is open to the residents of Manchester City Borough Council, Trafford and Stockport.

These areas are;

STOCKPORT COUNCIL

ADSWOOD HEATON MERSEY
BRAMHALL HEATON MOOR
BREDBURY HIGH LANE
BRINNINGTON MARPLE
CHEADLE MELLOR
CHEADLE HULME OFFERTON
COMPSTALL PORTWOOD
EDGELEY REDDISH
GATLEY ROMILEY
HAZEL GROVE WOODFORD
HEALD GREEN WOODLEY
HEATON CHAPEL  

MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL

ANCOATS AND CLAYTON HARPURHEY
ARDWICK HIGHER BLACKLEY
BAGULEY HULME
BRADFORD LEVENSHULME
BROOKLANDS LONGSIGHT
BURNAGE MILES PLATTING AND NEWTON HEATH
CHARLESTOWN MOSS SIDE
CHEETHAM MOSTON
CHORLTON NORTHENDEN
CHORLTON PARK OLD MOAT
CITY CENTRE RUSHOLME
CRUMPSALL SHARSTON
DIDSBURY EAST WHALLEY RANGE
DIDSBURY WEST WOODHOUSE PARK
FALLOWFIELD WITHINGTON
GORTON NORTH WYTHENSHAWE
GORTON SOUTH

TRAFFORD COUNCIL

ALTRINCHAM HALE BARNS
ASHTON-UPON-MERSEY LOSTOCK
BOWDON OLDFIELD BROW
BROADHEATH OLD TRAFFORD
BROOKLANDS PARTINGTON
CARRINGTON SALE
CORNBOOK SALE MOOR
DAVYHULME STRETFORD
DUNHAM MASSEY TIMPERLEY
FIRSTWOOD TRAFFORD PARK
FLIXTON URMSTON
GORSE HILL WARBURTON
HALE WEST TIMPERLEY
Evidence Required

We aim to be as inclusive as possible, however there are some guidelines around who is able to access the reduced technology.   We will ask to evidence of your entitlement and address.  We don’t record what you bring with you or ask for copies, we use it simply to confirm your entitlement.   We can accept the following.:

Evidence of low-income Evidence of address
  • Benefit payment book or entitlement letter.
  • Screen shots of you Universal Credit payments taken from your online account
  • Any welfare benefit award notices dated within the last 12 months
  • Your latest Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credit award letters or screen shots taken of an online notification
  • War pensions award letters
  • Letter from the Home Office about immigration status.
  • Bank statement shooing payments from employment / benefits.
  • Payslip dated within the past 3 months
  • P60 dated within the last 12 months,
  • Benefit payment book or entitlement letter
  • rent book, rent card or tenancy agreement
  • bank or building society statement
  • a recent utility bill for your current address
  • NHS letter with name and address
  • Drivers License
  • Letter from the Home Office about immigration status.
  • Residence permit, Police Registration Certificate, Immigration and Nationality Directorate travel document, standard acknowledgement letter (SAL1 or 2) or Application Registration Card (ARC).
  • Letter from a solicitor, social worker, probation officer, doctor or HM Revenue and Customs.
  • B79 form for notice that you have been released from prison.
  • Television licence in your name.

You will need to bring a copy of your evidence with you at collection, or we will ask for a copy of it electronically if you need shipping. 

Cost of the scheme

The scheme works on a sustainable model – as we receive no government grant funding.

Therefore there is a nominal charge for the low-income technology.  The regular prices (outside of any promotions) are as follows;

  • All Laptops – £60
  • All Desktops – £60
  • Smartphones – £ varies (but from £15)
  • Tablets – £ varies (but from £15)

Please be sure that there is a means to fund the cost of these devices before referring your client to us.

Why there is a cost:
As already stated, our scheme is self funding as we receive no government grants.  Every device that is refurbished is updated with a new SSD (where needed), additional memory, broken parts replaced, fully licensed with a Windows licenses, and goes thorough a rigorous testing and checking schedule to ensure it is fully functional.  The price paid by the client goes towards covering some of the hardware, software and labour costs of this process.

Shipping and Collection

Your client can either visit us in store (based in Stockport) and view the technology directly or they can view our technology online.

In Store
You can visit and and inspect the laptops directly, we are open to the general public and after referral we don’t ask to see any evidence of entitlement. This is a good way of making sure that the client is happy with the device and that it meets their needs.

Over the phone / Online
If your client is unable to visit us – no need to worry.  You can view our available technology online on this website using the menu buttons at the top of this page. Once a device is selected, we can take payment over the phone via card – or of the cost is being covered by a 3rd party, we can also accept direct bank payment. We can ship any of the devices directly to your client via DHL 24 hour shipping, the cost of this is £10.