THE Social Fund is a programme that helps people on low incomes with expenses which they find difficult to pay for. The Discretionary Social Fund provides three types of payments: Community Care Grants, Crisis Loans and Budgeting Loans. The Regulated Social Fund covers Winter Fuel Payments, Funeral Payments and Cold Weather Payments.

Regulated Payments

THESE are generally paid to people who are on certain benefits.

Cold Weather Payments: If you are in receipt of Pension Credit (PC), Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), you’ll get a Cold Weather Payment of £25 for each week of very cold weather. These payments are made when the average temperature in your area has been or is expected to be 0°C or below for seven days in succession. Payments are automatic so you don’t need to claim.

Winter Fuel Payments: These are paid to most people over the State Pension age to help with fuel costs. People aged from the State Pension age to 79 receive £200 if you are the only person in the household entitled to a payment, or £100 if you share a household with one or more other people entitled to a payment. If you are aged 80 or more you are entitled to receive £300 if you live alone, or £150 each if you live with someone else. The money is not taxed and there are no savings or income limits. The payments are based on an individual’s age and other factors. Your will be entitled to the 2010 Winter Fuel Payment if you have your 60th birthday before 6 July 2010.

Not everybody is eligible for a payment. Those who live permanently in a care home and are on certain benefits will not get a payment. If you are in a care home and do not get Pension Credit or income-based JSA, you should get £100 if you are over the State Pension age and under 80.

Please note that the current State Pension age for men is 65. For women, the current State Pension is increasing from 60 to 65 from April 2010. This affects women born on or after 6 April 1950

How To Claim: If you’re receiving Pension Credit, a State Pension or certain other benefits, or if you received a payment last winter, you shouldn’t have to claim as payments are usually made automatically before Christmas. In other circumstances, you’ll need to make a claim.

Call the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0845 915 1515 to claim or ask for more information.

Funeral Payments: You might be eligible for help with funeral costs if you have “good reason for taking responsibility” or if you or your partner receive any of these benefits: Pension Credit, Council Tax Benefit, Income Support, Housing Benefit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Child Tax Credit. “Good reason for taking responsibility” normally means you’re the partner of the deceased.

There are no capital/savings limits for Social Fund Funeral Payments but claims must be submitted within three months of the funeral date.

Social Fund help may be reduced if money is immediately available from the deceased’s insurance policy or estate.

The Funeral Payment will cover the costs of a basic, respectful funeral. This includes buying a burial plot, or cremation; transporting the deceased to a funeral director’s premises; transferring the coffin and bearers by hearse from the funeral director’s to the funeral; and up to £700 extra in expenses to cover other items such as a coffin and flowers etc.

To claim, you need to complete form SF200, from your local Jobcentre Plus office. If your application is refused you can request that the decision is revised, or you can also appeal. When you receive a letter refusing a payment, you’ll also get details about the revision and appeals procedure.

Discretionary Payments

THESE payments differ from the majority of social security payments as there’s a limited annual budget restricting the amount that can be awarded. Social Fund decision-makers need to take account of official guidelines. For Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans, they have to consider the individual circumstances of the applicants. Budgeting Loans are more “fact-based” rather than being totally discretionary.

Community Care Grants do not have to be repaid, but Budgeting and Crisis Loans do. They must be paid back within 104 weeks to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Community Care Fund: Community Care Grants are available to people on Income Support, Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or income-based JSA.

These do not have to be repaid but savings over £1,000, or £500 for those under 60, will be deducted from a grant.

A grant could help you if you plan to leave hospital, a care home, or prison and need assistance to buy equipment such as bedding or a cooker. It could also help you stay at home rather than go into a care home by paying for repairs and essential furniture. Grants can also contribute towards urgent travel costs, such as visiting someone who is ill.

Budgeting Loans: These are available for people who have been on Income Support, Pension Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or income-based JSA for at least 26 weeks and who need items that they cannot afford.

The loans vary from £100 to £1,500, depending on your needs and ability to repay. Any savings you have over £2,000, or £1,000 for people under 60, will be deducted from the loan. Budgeting Loans and

Community Care Grants can be awarded for items such as clothing, furniture and household equipment.

Crisis Loans: These are interest-free and available to anybody and you do not have to be on any type of benefit. You might receive a loan if you have emergency needs, or are a victim of a disaster like a flood. The Social Fund decision-maker will consider income or savings you have and if help is available elsewhere.

Applying: For a Community Care Grant, you need application form SF300 and for a Budgeting Loan form SF500 from your nearest Jobcentre Plus office. For a Crisis Loan, ask for form SF401. It is sometimes helpful to include a letter of support along with your application from your family doctor or a social worker.

If you are unhappy with a Social Fund application decision, you can request a review at your local Jobcentre Plus, where you can state your case to a Social Fund reviewing officer. This is usually done over the phone. If you’re still dissatisfied, you can request that your case is examined by the Independent Review Service (IRS). This process is quick and inspectors aim to complete cases within 12 days.

Contacts List

Citizens Advice Bureau: 020 7833 2181, www.adviceguide.org.uk

Direct Gov: www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm

Disability and Carers Service: 0845 7 12 34 56, www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/dcs/

Jobcentre Plus: (free) 0800 055 6688

Pension Service: 0845 606 0265, www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

Winter Fuel Payment Helpline: 0845 915 1515

*Please note the details published on this page are targeted at people aged 50 or more and refers to the situation in England.

**Also, please note that the information included here may change from time to time, so please take legal advice if you are in any doubt.