What grants or loans are available?
Community Care Grants
Community Care Grants are intended to help people live independently in the community. Claimants must be in receipt of Income Support or Income-Based Jobseekers' Allowance or be likely to receive one of these benefits on leaving care. They are not treated as income, and therefore do not affect benefits.
The purpose of the grant is to:
- ease exceptional pressures on families
- enable someone to resettle or remain in the community.
Fuel costs and standing charges are not normally provided from Community Care Grants, unless there are exceptional circumstances. However a grant may be paid to cover the costs of cookers and heaters and for fuel connection and reconnection charges. Personal savings of over £500 (£1,000 if claimant or partner is aged 60 or over) are taken into account.
Claims are made in writing to the local Jobcentre Plus office, generally on a specific application form (SF 300).
Budgeting Loans
These are interest-free loans intended to help households where a period of dependence on Income Support or Income-Based Jobseekers' Allowance has made budgeting for intermittent expenses difficult. A Budgeting Loan is not available for gas or electricity charges or for standing charges although priority is given to meter installation, reconnection charges and the cost of non-mains fuel such as oil, bottled gas, paraffin and coal. Personal savings of over £500 are taken into account (£1,000 if applicant is aged 60 or over).
Claims are made in writing to the local Jobcentre Plus office, generally on a specific application form (SF 500).
Crisis Loans
These are interest-free loans to help with immediate short-term need or crisis. It is not essential to be in receipt of benefit to qualify for a loan.
Fuel arrears are not specifically excluded and a loan may be awarded for the purpose of paying off fuel debt and for reconnection charges.
Claims can be made in writing or verbally. Written claims are normally submitted on Form SF 401 to the local Jobcentre Plus Office.
Winter Fuel Payments
A Winter Fuel Payment of £250 is made where any household member has reached the age of 60 or over on or before September 26. If more than one person in the household qualifies, then the payment will still total £250. An additional payment of £150 is made where one or more of the occupants is aged 80 or over.
If you do not live in your own home, for example if you are a hospital in-patient or living in residential care, you may not qualify for a payment. In some circumstances it will be necessary to claim. To obtain a claim form or to check your eligibility call the Winter Fuel Payments helpline on: 08459 15 15 15
Cold Weather Payments
Cold Weather Payments are automatically made to eligible households (those in receipt of certain benefits) in an area where a period of ‘exceptionally cold weather’ has occurred or been forecast to occur. The amount of the payment is £8.50 for any qualifying week.
A period of cold weather is defined as seven consecutive days during which the average of mean daily temperatures is 0o C or lower.
Eligible households are those in receipt of Income Support or Income-Based Jobseekers' Allowance which includes:
- pensioner premium or higher pensioner premium or
- disability, severe disability or disabled child premium or
- the household contains a child under five years old
There is no need to claim since payment should be made automatically.
Advice is available for ex-services personnel, and their families, from SSAFA.
For general enquiries call 0845 1300 975, email info@ssafa.org.uk, or write to: 19 Queen Elizabeth Street, London, SE1 2LP