Community Care Grant

What is a Community Care Grant?

This is a tax-free sum of money that you do not have to pay back. A Community Care Grant can help people to cope with special difficulties.

What is it for?

A Community Care Grant could help you:

• return to the community after being in care
• stay in your home rather than go into care
• set up home in the community after having an unsettled way of life (as part of a planned programme to resettle you)
• care for a prisoner or young offender when they leave prison on temporary licence
• ease exceptional pressures on you and your family, or
• pay for certain travel expenses like going to a family funeral or visiting someone who is ill.

The application form you fill in will help you to give all the right information.

Can I get a Community Care Grant?

You may be able to get a Community Care Grant if you are getting:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• payment on account of one of these benefits, or
• if you are due to leave care within the next 6 weeks and are likely to get one of these benefits when you leave

How much can I get?

We will pay what we think is right for the things you apply for and we may check costs with you if they seem too much.

We cannot pay a grant of less than £30 unless it is for travel costs.

What do I need to do next?

You can download a Community Care Grant form

You can download a Community Care Grant form in PDF format. The form comes with notes that will help you fill it in. This form does not apply to Northern Ireland.

 Community Care Grant, print out a form to fill in with a pen (117kb)

More information can be found in the leaflet 'The Social Fund'.

 The Social Fund (684.78kb)

Get help with PDFs

When do I apply?

You should apply as soon as you need something. If you are in care and will need something when you leave, you can apply up to 6 weeks before the date you are due to leave.

Decisions and Reviews

Disagree with our loan or grant decision?