Financial help for people who are stuggling (grant ideas etc)

[ThisIsMummyPig]

I have today found out about the British Gas Energy Trust, which makes grants to help people pay off fuel debts and make a fresh start, they will also sometimes make grants to clear other debts or purchase essential household items. (you don't have to be a British Gas customer)

I have posted on here before about Discretionary Housing Payments. These are available from your local council but you can only get them if you are entitled to Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit, and your HB/CTB is less than your rent/Council Tax charge.

There must be other schemes out there - does anyone know of any and would be willing to share?

Oooh that's interesting!

I have applied got, and got, water discount.

good thread

It's worth digging around all the utility sites, most of them have some sort of scheme. If you look under www.aurigaservices.co.uk/index.html this id=s the group that administers most of them

Trade unions often have a fund for their members. Unison have a holiday park, which is very useful if you've had a very shit year.

thanks Mummypig, I have a friend going through a hellish time at the moment, I shall pass that on.

Also try www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingDebt/DebtsAndArrears/index.htm

And any ex service personnel or anyone with parents who are ex service, then the royal British legion have many schemes and can help with a lot!

The warm home grant, from british gas, £125 each winter in credit on your gas or electricity bill or prepayment meter. Just apply and they chuck it on every year your eligable.

Can also get a discount on water rates if you have dc under 5 or less than 3dc and are on certain benefits.

There are more but its late and I'm not with it, will post back when my brains awake.

There is also (in Manchester at least) a reposession prevention fund, which is mainly aimed at tenants not mortgagees - they aim to negotiate with landlords to reduce arrears, and then pay off some of the arrears with a fund.

There are various local schemes for free school meals and secondary school clothing grants, you may not need to be on benefits to get them, but you would need to ask your local council

Also I noticed in my local Asda they were collecting for 'Diamond Parents' which is a charity which gives small amounts of money to families so that they can do things like go swimming.

These are nearly all things which I have found out about recently through work, but don't seem to be well advertised.

Furniture project operating in many local authorities. Worth a google if you're short of furniture.

Just thought - is it worth asking to get this moved so it doesn't disappear as the boards move on and then eventually disappear? Your call OP.

I thought it would get traffic in chat, and quite frankly I don't know where else it should be.

I love the thought of local authorities furniture in the same context of Big Fat Cushion.

I was really affected by the skint thread a few weeks ago, but didn't know what to do - then I realised that if people had more information they could help themselves - it's just knowing where to start...

The skint thread did reach 1000 in Credit Crunch - so perhaps it'd be seen in there?

There are also Lions Club type places that recycle furniture for people in need. i think?

does anyone know how long this grant takes for a decision

Surely most of these schemes have a limited pot so need to be for the most needy. I have been trying to apply for the E-0n next energy fund for a client but it says they have to go through a money advice service ( which my organization is not) to apply, so I may need to refer her on to another organization like CAB. i thin for most of these schemes you have to do a detailed breakdown of income and outgoings. There are some local grant schemes also.

I believe this is a different allocation system this year.