Community Care Grants
What is it?
A Community Care Grant is a payment awarded for the purpose of meeting a need for community care. For example, it can help people to live independently or ease exceptional pressures on families. It does not have to be paid back.
There are many different circumstances for which a grant can be made. These include:
- helping you to return to the community following a stay in institutional or residential accommodation in which you received care (e.g. hospital, prison, care home, hostel)
- helping you to stay in the community rather than enter institutional or residential accommodation in which you will receive care
- to ease exceptional pressures on you and your family
- to help people on a resettlement programme to set up home
- to care for a prisoner or young offender on release on temporary licence, or
- to help with certain travel costs.
To get a community care grant you or your family will have to be part of a priority group. Priorities will vary from area to area. Examples are:
- people with restricted mobility
- people with physical disabilities
- people with mental health problems
- family breakdown
- people with behavioural problems, drug or alcohol abuse
- people experiencing physical abuse, harassment or neglect.
The higher your circumstances are on the priority list, the more chance you have of getting a grant.
If you do not qualify for a Community Care Grant you maybe able to get a Budgeting Loan. If you are not sure, you should always apply for both.
Do I qualify?
You may be eligible for a Community Care Grant if you are getting any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or
- Pension Credit.
You may also be eligible for a grant if in the next 6 weeks you are leaving institutional or residential care and you are likely to receive any of those benefits.
If you have more than £500 savings (£1000 if you are aged 60 or over) you will not be able to receive the maximum grant. Any grant will be reduced pound for pound by any savings you have over £500 (or £1000 if you are over 60).
To find out whether you could qualify, you can contact the Benefits Maximisation Service for a full benefits check.
How much is it?
Any grant you are awarded will depend on a number of factors. These include:
- Whether your situation is considered to be a high priority
- Whether what you have asked for will clearly help to substantially and immediately improve your situation
- Where you have asked for money for specific items, the award should cover the cost of a serviceable item which can easily be obtained on the high street or in national catalogues. This will typically be the most basic model. If you need a specific model you should explain how it meets your needs.
How do I apply?
More information can be found in the Grants and Loans from the Social Fund leaflet (264kb).
You can get a Community Care Grant form from any Job Centre Plus office.
You can download a Community Care Grant form in PDF format. The form comes with notes that will help you fill it in and tell you where to send the completed form.
The Benefits Maximisation Service can provide personal advice on what you may be entitled to and help you make a claim. For more information go to Benefits Maximisation Service.
What if I am not satisfied with the decision?
If you are refused a social fund payment or think it should have been paid at a higher rate you can write asking for it to be reviewed within 28 days from the date on the decision. This means that a different Decision Maker will look at your claim again.
It is very important that you reply within 28 days, as you may not be able to challenge the decision otherwise.
If the second Decision Maker cannot revise the decision in your favour, you will be asked if you want an interview by telephone. This means that you can explain why you think the decision is wrong in more detail, and the Decision Maker can ask questions. You can ask for the interview to be held at a Jobcentre Plus office, or in your own home if using the telephone is difficult for you.
The Benefits Maximisation Service can also hold telephone interviews on your behalf.
If you are still unsatisfied once the revision has taken place you can ask for a further review by the Independent Review Service. This usually has to be on a form called ISR1, which is available from any DWP office. You can also ask the DWP to post one to you. Again, you must make your appeal within 28 days of the date of the new decision.
Our Benefits Maximisation Service can help you with revisions and appeals.
What if my circumstances change?
Your claim for a social fund payment can only be considered based on your circumstances at the time of the claim. If your circumstances have changed, so that you now qualify for payment, you will need to make a new claim.
For an easy way to find out which benefits might apply to you and your circumstances to go What can I claim?
The Benefits Maximisation Service can provide personal advice on what you may be entitled to and help you make a claim. For more information go to Benefits Maximisation Service.
Disclaimer
Although every effort is made to ensure the information on these pages is accurate and up to date, it should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law.