The Social Fund

There are different budgets and rules depending on where you live in the country‚ so get advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau (see 'Useful website') or another advice agency before you apply for a grant or loan.

There are two parts to the Social Fund - regulated and discretionary.

The regulated Social Fund

The regulated Social Fund covers:

Funeral payments: You may be able to get a payment towards funeral costs if you have good reason for taking responsibility for the expenses and you or your partner are receiving any of the benefits below:

• Pension Credit;
• Income Support;
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance;
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
• Housing Benefit;
• Working Tax Credit (which includes the disability or severe disability element);
• Child Tax Credit (paid at a rate that exceeds the family element).

Cold Weather payments: If you receive Pension Credit (PC), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), which includes a pensioner or disability premium, you will receive a Cold Weather Payment of £8.50 for each week of very cold weather.

Winter Fuel payments: Winter Fuel Payments are paid to pensioner households to help with the cost of fuel. They are paid to most people aged 60 or over living in Great Britain and there are no income or savings limits.

The discretionary Social Fund

The discretionary Social Fund provides three types of payments:

Community care grants: Grants may help you if you:

• plan to leave institutional or residential accommodation (eg hospital, care home, prison or a hostel) and need help, for example to buy a bed, bedding, cooker or to pay fuel connection and removal charges;
• need help to stay at home rather than go into a care home (eg for minor house repairs, bedding and essential furniture);
• need help to ease exceptional pressures on families caused by disability, chronic sickness or major family changes;
• need help with travel expenses in urgent situations (eg visiting someone who is ill or attending a relative’s funeral).

Bugeting loans: The applications for budgeting loans and community care grants are separate so it may be better to try for a non-repayable grant before you consider a loan.

Budgeting loans and community care grants can be given for items such as furniture, household equipment, clothing and footwear, removal costs or home improvements, maintenance and home security measures.

Crisis loans: Crisis loans are available to anyone; you don’t have to be getting any benefits. You may get a loan if you have emergency needs or are involved in a disaster (eg fire or flood) and the loan is necessary to prevent serious damage or risk to your health and safety.

Free benefit check

If you, or an older person you know needs advice, information or practical support on a wide range of issues including welfare benefits, community care, housing and health, contact the Age NI Advice Service on Freephone 0808 808 7575 to speak to a specialist advisor in confidence. Our advisors can provide a free benefit check to ensure that older people are accessing the benefits they are entitled to. 

Last year our Advice Service dealt with more than 15,000 calls from older people in need.  Call the Age NI Advice Service today to make sure that you are receiving all the help and support available to you.