Community care grants

In a housing context, this grant may be helpful where clients need essential furniture or white goods to set up home, or for travel or removal expenses.

Community care grants can be paid specifically to: [1]

• help families under exceptional pressure

• help people following a period of care or homelessness

• help people continue to live independently where there’s a risk of care or homelessness

• help people meet additional costs associated with looking after someone on temporary release from prison or a young offenders’ institution

Community care grants may be available to anyone aged 16 or over and on a low income. [2] An applicant does not have to be in receipt of benefits to apply. [3]

Applicants must have less than £700 in savings (£1200 for people above pension age). [4]

A community care grant cannot normally be paid where the applicant has applied for the same items or services in the last 28 days. [5]

Deposits and rent in advance are excluded. [6] However, an applicant may be able to apply for either a Budgeting loan or Discretionary Housing Payment.

The fund cannot be used to clear debt or where there are other social fund sources of support – for example, funeral costs or maternity items.

Applications must be made directly to the local authority. See the Scottish government pages Scottish welfare fund - apply for details of how to apply in each local authority area. Awards should be processed within 15 days. [7] Applicants have 20 days to request a review if they are unhappy with the decision. [8]