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  • family-applications
  1. How we help
  2. Grants
  3. Apply for my family

Family Applications

If you are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young adult and living the UK then we can consider your application

Who do we help?

We help families across the UK who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 17 or under. Find out if you could be eligible.

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Please be aware that there may be a delay in receiving your grant item due to the impact of Coronavirus on our team and suppliers. Please visit our Coronavirus page for more information.

We help families across the UK who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 17 or under. You can apply to Family Fund if:

  • You live in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales (Please note: If you are a family living in Wales, please visit our Wales application pages to apply.)
  • You are the parent or carer of a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 0-17 who lives with you
  • You are currently living in the UK and done so for at least six months, or three months if your child is less than six months old. You are eligible to work and apply for public funds
  • Your child is not in Local Authority care
  • You have evidence of entitlement to any one of the following:
        • Universal Credit
        • Child Tax Credit
        • Working Tax Credit
        • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
        • Income Related Employment Support Allowance
        • Income Support
        • Housing Benefit
        • Pension Credit.
    • Your child or young person has a high level of additional support needs arising from a long term disability or disabling condition or a serious or life limiting illness. By long term we mean lasting or likely to last 12 months or more.  Please read our child and young person eligibility criteria.

    You must meet all Family Fund eligibility criteria in order to be considered for a grant.

    If you would like to ask any questions or discuss this before you make an application, please contact us.

     

    Frequently asked questions:

    "What if I am not in receipt of any of the benefits listed above?"

    You may still apply but you will need to provide extra information about your household income.  Our grants are discretionary and subject to available funding; we may decline an application where a family has a significant level of savings, capital or household income.

    "Why is there an income limit?"

    All our grants are discretionary and subject to available funding, so we may decline an application where a family has a significant level of capital or household income.

    "Why can’t you help if my child is in local authority care?"

    We are not able to consider applications where a child or young person is in local authority care, including those living with foster carers. Local authorities have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child in its care, and to meet the needs of the child.

    "My child has been assessed as needing a special needs buggy, can you help?"

    We are also unable to consider requests where a statutory agency has responsibility to provide an assessed need.

    “My child was eligible last time – will they always be eligible for help?”

    We confirm whether a child meets our disability criteria each time an application is made.  Although children may meet our criteria initially, this may change over time due to medical intervention, medication, dietary or other management of their condition or as they get older.  

    “My child was not eligible for help before.  Can I apply again?“

    Although a child may not meet our criteria and be eligible for help at first, this can change over time and they may well come within our criteria later on.  Or a child’s condition may have deteriorated since last time and you now feel they would meet our criteria.

    Remember- If you are in doubt as to whether your child or young person would meet Family Fund's criteria, please apply. When we receive your application, we will check that it meets all our eligibility criteria.

    Published: 14th July, 2015

    Updated: 22nd February, 2021

    Author: Jim Paterson

    Related topics:
    • income
    • eligible
    • criteria
    • eligibility
    • disability
    • application
    • grants
    • apply
    • Grants: England
    • Family Applications
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    What can we apply for?

    We will look at any grant request that relates to the needs of your disabled or seriously ill child, young person and your family.

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    Please note: If you are a family living in Wales, please visit our Wales application pages to find out more about grants available.

    We will look at any grant request that relates to the needs of your disabled or seriously ill child, young person and your family, take a look at our list of grant items to find out more. 

    When applying, think about what would make a difference to you and your child. We consider grant requests in order of priority.  If you would like to ask for more than one item, make sure you tell us what is the most important item first.

    We have limited funding and we may not be able to help with everything you have asked for, especially where items are of a high value.

    Our grants are provided through contract provision through a range of suppliers. Using suppliers allows Family Fund to arrange discounts to ensure our funding goes further and helps more families.  For some grants we may make a BACS payment direct to a nominated bank account.

    Find out more about the main suppliers we work with.

    Read some of our families’ stories to see what sort of things other people have been helped with.

    Please be aware that there may be a delay in receiving your grant item due to the impact of Coronavirus on our team and suppliers. Please visit our Coronavirus page for more information.

    We are not able to consider requests for:

    • A car, other vehicle or driving lessons
    • Items already purchased
    • Requests where a statutory agency (such as local authorities or health services) has assessed a need and have a responsibility to provide the item.

    Published: 15th July, 2015

    Updated: 26th February, 2021

    Author: Jim Paterson

    Related topics:
    • support
    • children
    • disabled
    • child
    • disability
    • grants
    • apply
    • items
    • help
    • Grants: England
    • Family Applications
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    Child and young person eligibility criteria

    We use our own child and young person's eligibility criteria. Read through to see if you may be eligible for support.

    Expand

    Please be aware that there may be a delay in receiving your grant item due to the impact of Coronavirus on our team and suppliers. Please visit our Coronavirus page for more information.

    Family Fund uses its own Child and Young Person’s Eligibility Criteria to assess a disabled or seriously ill child or young person’s additional support needs based on a social model of disability.

    Children and young people with additional support needs arising from a disability or disabling condition or with a serious or life limiting illness meet this criteria where:

    • There is evidence that their additional needs impact on family’s choices and their opportunity to enjoy ordinary life; the degree of planning and support required to meet their needs are much greater than that usually required to meet the needs of children.

    and

    • They require a high level of additional support in three or more of Family Fund’s seven areas of support below.

    and

    • Their condition is long term or life limiting (by long term we mean lasting or likely to last 12 months or more).

    Family Fund seven areas of support

    Your child should require additional support in at least three of the seven areas below:

    • Personal care– we mean things like physical support required with feeding, washing, toileting or moving and transferring child.
    • Access to social activities – we mean things like engaging socially and taking part in activities.
    • Education – we mean the type of support that is given for learning and who gives it?
    • Communication – we mean listening, speaking and understanding.
    • Supervision and Vigilance – we mean supervision and measures in place to ensure a child’s safety.
    • Medical or therapeutic treatment or Condition management - we mean what treatment or therapy is given, who does this, how often and when?
    • Physical environment and Specialist resources - we mean things like physical adaptations and adjustments required with getting around and what specialist equipment or resources are used.

    Children and young people do not need a diagnosis to meet Family Fund criteria, but their additional support needs must arise from a disability or disabling condition. 

    You must also meet all of our general eligibility criteria.

    Published: 17th July, 2015

    Updated: 7th September, 2020

    Author: Jim Paterson

    Related topics:
    • criteria
    • rules
    • disability
    • disability criteria
    • Third Party Applications
    • Family Applications
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    After you apply

    What happens once you have sent in your application.

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    Please be aware that there may be a delay in receiving your grant item due to the impact of Coronavirus on our team and suppliers. Please visit our Coronavirus page for more information.

    For first-time applications

    You should hear from us within 10 weeks of us receiving your application. We may need to discuss your application with you over the phone. Watch the video below for more information this, please note that we are not visiting homes right now due to Government restrictions.

    If you’ve applied before

    You should hear from us within 10 weeks of us receiving your application. The actual time to deal with an application will depend on the number of applications we receive and the funding available at any particular time.  

    To be fair to families, all applications are looked at in date order.

    If you have not heard from us after 10 weeks, please contact us or you can log in to your online account to monitor progress.

    Once your grant has been awarded, you can see more information about how you can use it here.

    What can hold up an application?

    If your application form is incomplete or missing copies of the required documents, then your application will be returned to you for completion. We are unable to consider an application until it is received fully complete.

    When looking at your application we may need to request further information.  If we require additional information we will contact you by phone or in writing.  This information will be required in order for us to continue to consider your application.

    If your application is unsuccessful

    A family can ask for any decision on an application to be reconsidered. This is called an appeal. If you are not happy with the decision on your application, please read our complaints and appeals procedure.

    Appeals and complaints must be made within two months of the date of the decision or issue.

    We strive to ensure that all appeals and complaints are:

    • Looked into fully
    • Responded to quickly
    • Handled fairly
    • Resolved satisfactorily

    To make an appeal or complaint, please contact us.

    Published: 18th July, 2015

    Updated: 26th February, 2021

    Author: Jim Paterson

    Related topics:
    • application
    • how long
    • after applying
    • home visit
    • visit
    • time
    • Scotland
    • Grants: England
    • Family Applications
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    Terms and Conditions

    Download our full terms and conditions.

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    Our full Terms and Conditions are downloadable by the link below. If you have any questions regarding them, please contact us.

    Download Terms and Conditions.

    Download Exceptions Policy

    Published: 19th August, 2015

    Updated: 3rd July, 2020

    Author: Jim Paterson

    Related topics:
    • Third Party Applications
    • Family Applications
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    © Family Fund 2021 All rights reserved

    Family Fund Trust. Private company limited by guarantee. Incorporated in England and Wales. Registration no. 3166627. Registered charity no. 1053866. Scottish charity no. SC040810. Family Fund Trust is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under reference number 912508.

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