Social Fund - Grants/Loans
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‘Responsible for Children’.
- Health in Pregnancy Grant
- Sure Start Maternity Grant
- Community Care Grant
- Budgeting Loan
- Crisis Loan
- Funeral Payments
- Winter Fuel Payment
- Cold Weather Payment
Health in Pregnancy Grant
This is a one-off lump sum of £190 that is non-repayable. You can claim this from the 25th week of pregnancy, and this is available to all expectant mothers. Your income has no effect on whether or not you can receive this.
Sure Start Maternity Grant
This is a one-off lump some payment of £500 that is non-repayable. To be eligible you need to be in receipt of one of these benefits:
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income related)
- Child Tax Credit (at a higher rate than the family element)
- Working Tax Credits (which includes a disability or severe disability element)
You can claim this if you are pregnant and your due date is within 11weeks, or if you have given birth within the last 3 months, or if you have adopted a baby under 12 months, or if you are getting benefits for a mother or an expectant mother aged under 20.
Community Care Grant
This is a non-repayable payment made to you to assist you to live independently in the community. To apply for this you must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit:
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income relate)
or be about to get one of these benefits in the next 6 weeks because of leaving care.
These are the circumstances in which you can apply for a CCG:
- you're moving out of residential or institutional care to live independently
- you're moving to a new home which will be more suitable for you following an unsettled period in your life and are being resettled by an organisation like a local council or voluntary organisation
- you need help to stay in your home and not go into residential care or hospital
- you need help to set up home in the community as part of a planned resettlement programme following an unsettled way of life
- you need help because you or your family face exceptional pressure, such as family breakdown or because one of you has a long-term illness
- you look after someone who is ill or disabled, or has been released from custody on temporary license
- you need help with travelling expenses to:
- visit someone who is ill
- attend a relatives funeral
- ease a domestic crisis
- visit a child who is with the other parent pending a court decision
- move to more suitable accommodation
Budgeting Loan
This is an interest free loan available to help you to spread the cost of one-off expenses over a longer period. To apply for this you must be in receipt of Income Support; Jobseekers Allowance (income based); Employment Support Allowance (income related); or Pension Credit; and have been getting one of these benefits throughout the past 26 wks: or have been the partner of someone getting one of these.
It can be used for furniture of household items, clothing, footwear, rent in advance or removal expenses, home improvements, improving or maintaining security, travelling expenses, help with looking for or starting work, repaying hire purchase or other debts that have been taken out to pay for the above items.
Repayments can either be: deducted automatically from benefit in payment; or Paid directly by you at an agreed amount depending on your income and expenditure.
Crisis Loan
This is an interest free loan, to assist you to meet your immediate short-term needs in an emergency or as a consequence of a disaster. It can be used for living expenses or other essential items or services. It is available to you if you have no other means of getting help to avoid serious risk to health or safety. You do not have to be getting any kind of Benefits to apply for a Crisis Loan but you must be aged 16 or over. Repayments will be discussed with you when you apply for the crisis loan.
Funeral Payments
This is to help with the cost of a funeral if you are on a low income. If you are awarded a Funeral Payment, please be aware that it is recoverable from the estate of the deceased. You have 3 months to claim from the date of the funeral. To apply for this you or your partner must be in receipt of either:
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income related)
- Working Tax Credit (with a disability or severe disability element)
- Child Tax Credit (at a rate higher than the family element)
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit
If you have applied for one of these benefits and are awaiting a decision regarding your entitlement, you must still claim within the time limit.
Winter Fuel Payments
This is payable to people aged 60 or over and is paid every year during the winter months. To be entitled to this, you must be aged over 60 during what is called the ‘qualifying week’; this always begins on the third Monday in September. For 2009 this means you need to be aged 60 during 21st September 2009 – 27th September 2009. It is paid to help you with your fuel costs but it does not matter how you use this money. You will not be entitled to this if you are in hospital during the qualifying week and have been there for over 12 months.
Couples both aged 60 or over who qualify and who are receiving Pension Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance (income based), or Employment and Support Allowance (income related) will get one payment made to the person receiving that benefit. The other person is not entitled to the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is paid to you automatically over a number of weeks from early November 2009 until Christmas 2009. If you have not received your Winter Fuel Payment by Christmas 2009, you will need to claim it by completing a form and returning it before 30th March 2010.
In line with changes to State Pension age for women, the qualifying age for Winter Fuel Payments will rise gradually between 2010 and 2020, from 60 to 65. This means that from winter 2010/11 onwards, both men and women will need to have reached women’s State Pension age by the end of the September qualifying week.
Cold Weather Payments
This is a non-repayable payment to help towards extra heating costs during “very cold weather”. This is determined when the average temperature for your area is recorded as, or forecast to be, freezing point or below over 7 consecutive days. You may be eligible to receive this if you are in receipt of Pension Credit. You may also be eligible if you are in receipt of:
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income related)
AND you must also receive a pensioner or disability premium, or have a child who is disabled or under the age of 5. There is no need to claim the Cold Weather Payment as it is paid automatically.
Would you like to see if you could be entitled to any of these benefits? Our Welfare Benefits Advisor, Millie can give you advice on what benefits you may be able to claim, and help you to claim them if you would like her to. Millie may also be able to calculate how much you could receive with these benefits. You can contact her either via our Customer Services Team on 0300 123 1222 where they can take your details and Millie will call you back, or via email info@muir.org.uk
Remember, it is your responsibility to notify the relevant benefit department of any changes in your circumstance to ensure you are still receiving the correct amount of benefit, to prevent any overpayments, or underpayments from occurring.
