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Information » Money » Benefits » Social Fund

• The Social Fund is there to help people on a low income or with not enough money to pay for one-off emergency expenses
• Social Fund includes funeral payments, maternity grants, crisis loans, budgeting loans, community care grants and cold weather payments
• Any money you receive from the Social Fund does not have to be repaid, except for a budgeting loan

Maternity grants

• A maternity grant (also known as a Sure Start maternity grant) is a fixed amount of £500 to help people on a low income buy clothes and equipment for a new born baby. It does not have to be repaid and it does not matter what you use the money for
• You can claim a maternity grant if you or your partner is at least 29 weeks' pregnant or has given birth, adopted a baby or had a child by a surrogate mother within the last three months

Funeral payments

• A funeral payment is a payment to help people on a low income with the essential costs of a funeral. You must show that you have met these expenses. You do not have to repay a funeral payment, although it can be recovered from the estate of the person who has died
• You can claim funeral payment if:
• You or your opposite sex partner is receiving Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit
• If you get Child Tax Credit and your award is high enough
• If you get Working Tax Credit with an extra amount for disability
• Your capital, such as your savings, does not affect a funeral payment, but you must be the person who is responsible for paying for the funeral, such as the funeral of your partner or child
• A funeral payment can also include up to £700 for other expenses, for example, a headstone, flowers or extra religious requirements. If there is a private funeral payment plan, there is a limit of £100 for any of these other expenses that are not already covered by the funeral plan
• Even if a full payment is made to you, the benefit office may recover all or part of it from the dead person's estate later on
• You can claim a funeral payment from the date of death up to three months after the date of the funeral, even if you have already paid the funeral bill. The claim should be made on form SF200, available from local benefit offices to the Department for Work and Pensions

Cold Weather Payments

• 
  These payments help people on a low income pay for fuel during cold weather
• Payments are only made when your local weather station records an average temperature of 0 degrees centigrade for seven days in a row
• You will automatically receive £8.50 for each period of cold weather. You do not need to apply
• You will be entitled if you get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance for at least one day during the period of cold weather and have a child under five

Community Care Grants

• Community Care Grants help with expenses so that people can stay in the community and families can stay together
• It is discretionary so even if you are entitled, it depends on how much money is left in the Social Fund in your area
• You can apply if:
• You are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit
• You will be leaving institutional or residential care in the next six weeks and are likely to receive the above benefits when you leave
• The grant can be used for:
• Helping a family member get established in a community after institutional or residential care
• Helping keep a family member stay in the community rather than go into care
• Helping you or your partner care for a prisoner or young offender on home leave
• Helping you to set up home as part of a planned resettlement programme, if you have been homeless for example
• Helping you to meet certain travel expenses that support people in the community, such as visiting a family member in hospital or attending a funeral
• Helping you to meet the expenses of essential items that without your family would suffer, such as furnishings for a new house
• The minimum amount of community care grant that can be awarded is usually £30. There is no maximum amount
• You can apply for a community care grant on form SF300 which is available from local benefit offices. The form is also available online on the Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk

Budgeting Loan

• Budgeting loans help you pay for unexpected lump sums that you cannot afford to meet
• They must be repaid, but are on an interest-free basis, so you only paid back what you receive
• The minimum you can receive is £30 and the maximum is £1,000
• You can apply if:
• You are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance or Pension Credit on the day you apply
• You have received one of these benefits for at least 26 weeks
• You cannot receive a full budgeting loan if you or your opposite sex partner have more than £500 in capital
• A budgeting loan can be used for:
• Essential household items, clothing or footwear
• Rent or removal expenses
• Maintenance, improvements or security at your home
• Essential traveling expenses to get a job
• Certain debts such as purchase payments
• You can apply for a budgeting loan on form SF500, which is available from local benefit offices. In England, Wales and Scotland, the form is also online on the Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk
• The minimum amount of budgeting loan that you can be awarded is £30 and the maximum amount is £1,000. The award will be decided by looking at your circumstances but there is no guarantee you will receive anything

Crisis loans

• Crisis loans are for people who need money for an emergency situation like a fire or a flood
• The crisis loan must be the only way that you can avoid serious damage or risk to the health or safety of you or a member of your family
• You can apply if you are 16 or over and have no other means to pay the emergency expenses. You do not need to be on benefits
• The maximum amount you can receive is £1,000
• You will not be able to apply if:
• You are in a care home or in hospital, unless you are going to be discharged within the next two weeks
• You are a prisoner being held in prison or on home leave
• You are a member of a religious order which meets all your accommodation and living costs
• You are under 19 and in full-time education (unless you are getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance)
• You can also get a Crisis loan for rent in advance
  Crisis loans are discretionary so even if you are eligible, you are not guaranteed to receive anything
• Before you apply, check to see if your needs could be covered by another part of the Social Fund first because you do not have to repay these
  You can apply for a crisis loan on form SF401, which is available from local benefit offices. The form is also available online on the Department for Work and Pensions website at www.dwp.gov.uk