Benefits

What type of benefit is a Community Care Grant?

A non-repayment grant intended to promote community care by assisting people on Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance or Pension Credit (guaranteed credit) to live independently in the community.

Who can claim?

• The claimant must be getting Income Support, Income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance or Pension Credit (guaranteed credit) when they apply (unless they are leaving institutional or residential care in the next six weeks and are likely to become entitled to the above). The claimant must not have been awarded or refused a grant or Crisis Loan for the same item or service within the last 26 weeks.
• The claimant must need the grant to help them or a member of their family to re-establish into or remain in the community, care for a prisoner on temporary release, ease exceptional pressure on their family or meet certain travelling costs.
• The claimant must not have too much capital. Any grant is reduced by capital or savings that the claimant or partner has above £500 (£1,000 if the claimant or their partner are aged 60 years or over). Capital is worked out in the same way as for Income Support.
• Items that can be claimed for are:
  
  
  • furniture;
  • bedding;
  • additional needs for disabled child, e.g. a washing machine if a high level of washing is required;
  • travelling expenses.

How is a Community Care Grant worked out?

• A decision-maker must take account of the national guidance to decide whether an application should be given a high, medium or low priority. Local guidance is then used to decide whether an award can actually be made for that level of priority, given the current state of the district budget.
• In practice, it is normally only people with high priority needs who are given a grant, if it can be demonstrated that the grant will have a significant and substantial impact in resolving or improving the claimant’s circumstances.

How do you claim?

On Form SF300, which can be obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions by phoning 0845 608 8580.

For further information visit the Department for Work and Pensions website (www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_4017560).

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