Community Care Grant - text version

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Community Care Grants

What is it?

Community Care Grants are part of the Social Fund and help people who are getting Income Support or Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, or for those people who are likely to get one of these benefits when moving out of residential or institutional accommodation.

The main aims of these grants are to help people live independently in the community and to ease exceptional pressures on families. They cover a wide range of personal circumstances and a variety of needs and expenses, but best of all, they do not have to be paid back!

Sounds good, but do I qualify?

Do you:

Plan to leave residential or institutional accommodation? (prison, hospital, care homes, hostels and foster homes are all examples of this).

Need help to stay in your own home and not go into residential or institutional accommodation?

Need help because you have an unsettled way of life (such as homeless) and are being resettled by an organisation such as local council or housing charity?

Need help because you and your family face exceptional pressure such as family breakdown, or long-term illness?

Look after someone who is ill or disabled, or has been released from custody on temporary licence?

Need help with expenses such as visiting someone who is ill, or to attend a relative’s funeral?

Need help because you or your family are in a similar situation to any of the above?

If you have answered YES to one of these questions, then you can apply for a Community Care Grant.

How much will I get?

Community Care grants are discretionary, so there is no automatic right to payment and no standard amount that is awarded as a payment. However, the minimum payment is Ł30.00 – but there is no maximum amount.

If you have savings of more than Ł500.00, this will usually affect how much you can get. So, for example, if you gained a grant for Ł1,000.00, but you had savings of Ł750.00, then your grant will be reduced to Ł250.00 (Ł1,000.00 - Ł750.00 = Ł250.00)

How do I apply?

You will need to obtain and complete form SF300.

Where do I apply?

You can obtain a form SF300 from your local Jobcentre plus office. You may be asked about your background and may also need official documents to support the information you give.

Alternatively, you can obtain the form SF300 from the Department of Work and Pensions website by logging on to www.dwp.gov.uk, or by clicking your mouse on the link below.

Click here to download the form.

Disclaimer, Target Audience, Jurisdiction Last updated & checked: 29/03/2006