There are local and national charitable funds who have specific grants and funds for carers. Others may not be carer specific but could help towards the cost of essential household items, equipment and breaks for the person you care for which will in turn benefit you.
What is a charitable fund?
Charitable funds are usually run by charities or organisations and will have their own rules about who they help. Most will help people on low incomes who have something in common, such as:
- Working or having worked in a particular profession or industry;
- Having a disability or illness;
- Being a carer;
- Being a member of a faith or having a certain nationality;
- Living in a particular area of the UK;
- Belonging to a specific age group, e.g. ‘older people’ or ‘children and young people 0-18 years;
- Struggling with situations such as homelessness, unemployment, relationship breakdown, bereavement, addiction or fuel poverty.
Many funds also help the dependents of people which their fund already supports, for example their partners, ex-partners or children.
What help do charitable funds give?
Each charitable fund is different but most give grants and some may offer other services as well. A grant is a sum of money, given as a gift or award, so it doesn’t have to be paid back. Grants that may be available include regular amounts of money to help you with your bills and other living expenses, one off grants to help you pay for items or services you need (such as household goods, furniture disability equipment or house repairs), educational grants to help with the costs of educational and training courses, or funding to improve your job prospects or quality of life, e.g. respite breaks and travelling expenses.