Cost of Living

Grants to Support Individuals & Families in Need.

Grants of up to £2,000 are available to charities, housing associations, schools and social services providing support for individuals and families across the UK who are in financial need.

The Cosaraf Charitable Foundation’s Hardship Grants will support individuals and families who have exhausted all other sources of funding and are struggling with everyday costs, such as basic living expenses, household items and utilities, work- or education-related expenses, or rent arrears.

Priority will be given to the most financially excluded people, families over individuals, those with caring responsibilities, and to items that will make the most difference to the individual/family’s long-term future.

Applications can be made at any time and are assessed every six weeks.

Read more and apply.

Awards for All funding of up to £20K is available to support communities with things that are important to them.

In order to support communities, Awards for All funds projects and organisations which aim to:

• bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities
• improve the places and spaces that matter to communities
• help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage
• support people, communities and organisations facing more demands and challenges because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Read more here about National Lottery Awards for All England

BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme supports children and young people who are facing exceptionally difficult circumstances, and is delivered by Family Fund Business Services. The programme provides items that meet a child’s most basic needs such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker to provide a hot meal and other items or services critical to a child’s wellbeing.

All applications must be made by a registered referrer. The referrer registration process includes a security check and email verification. Please allow adequate time for this process to take place prior to making an application.

Find out more about the Emergency Essentials Programme here

The Cost of Living Resilience Fund supports social sector organisations in areas of deprivation providing services to support people struggling with the rising cost of living. The fund aims to increase sustainability in these organisations by supporting them to deliver projects which build organisational stability and resilience.

The types of services being delivered may include (but are not limited to):

• Provision of advice, in particular debt and financial advice.
• Provision of warm spaces over winter, linked to the provision of wider advice & support services.
• Provision of no or low cost food, through food banks or food delivery boxes.
• Support with housing needs whether that be through advice to those made homeless, provision of low/no cost home furnishings or provision of housing itself.
• Access to transport to enable people to access shops or facilities and employment.

Up to £50,000. CIO, Community Benefit Society, CIC, Co-operative Society.

Find out about the Cost of Living Resilience Fund

Financial Support for Individuals and Families who are Experiencing Fuel Poverty and Struggling to Pay their Energy Bills (England, Scotland and Wales)

The Individual and Families Debt Write Off Fund, administered by the British Gas Energy Trust, is now open for applications. The fund provides eligible applicants with a grant of up to £1,500 to clear outstanding arrears with their energy supplier.

Unlike some other funds, eligibility is not limited to British Gas customers. However, customers of Eon, Eon Next, EDF, Scottish Power, and Octopus should apply to their respective funds instead.

To qualify for the grant, the applicant must live in England, Scotland, or Wales and not have received a grant from the British Gas Energy Trust in the past 2 years. Additionally, they must be seeking a grant to clear an outstanding debt on a current or open gas, electricity, or dual fuel energy account in their name, or be a member of the household with the debt. Furthermore, the applicant must have electric and/or gas debt, be in or facing Fuel Poverty, and have received help from a money advice agency. If the applicant does not satisfy all of these criteria, their application will not be assessed.

Read more and apply

Grants of up to £2,400 are being made available to help UK Armed Forces veterans and their families who are struggling to pay their bills due to the cost-of-living crisis.

The funding is being made available through the Royal British Legion’s Everyday Needs Grants Programme to support people who need help with everyday essentials such as kitchen appliances, clothes, and energy costs. The initiative will provide non-repayable emergency grants of up to £200 a month for up to twelve months.

Applications can be made at any time and should be assessed within five days of submission. *Check eligibility here.

£2,400. Armed Forces Community*

Read more and apply