Applications to the general hardship fund are currently suspended following a successful year where we approved a total of 105 grants to a value of £61,000 to home improvement agency clients. The fund will remain suspended while we undertake further fundraising activities and you can find further information about the Hardship Fund below. However, we are still accepting applications for the Health Through Warmth hardship fund for heating- or insulation-related measures.
Click here to go to the Health Through Warmth hardship fund.
The Foundations Independent Living Trust Hardship Fund is targeted at the most vulnerable homeowners who need urgent small improvements that current funding streams do not cover.
It helps people who, for the want of small sums of money to improve or adapt their homes, are either at risk of illness, accident, and hospital admission, or cannot get home from hospital or residential care. It pays for building work, essential items, equipment and services, and is administered by Foundations.
Home improvement agencies in England can apply on behalf of their clients. Money from the fund is paid to the agency, not the client.
The home improvement agency client must receive a means-tested benefit and have savings of less than £3,000.
Full or part payment must be needed for essential building repairs, aids, adaptations, essential items, equipment, services or security measures that are required immediately. The safety, health and wellbeing of the client or the structure of the building (or both) may be at risk if the work is not carried out.
There must be no other appropriate sources of help accessible within a reasonable timescale for the circumstances.
The Hardship Fund is a last resort and is not an alternative to statutory and other sources of finance routinely used by home improvement agencies.
Grants are not expected to exceed £500. If we receive an application to the fund for more than £500, we will pass it to the Trustees for consideration. The fund is not intended to 'top up' large projects such as shortfalls in Disabled Facilities Grants or the Warm Front scheme.
Cases that fall outside of these guidelines may be considered for a grant from the Trust, and we will consider the merits of the individual case. For more information on eligibility criteria, please read the guidance notes.
To apply to the Hardship Fund, please download the application form and send it back to us using the contact details at the top of the form.
The application process:
The home improvement agency is approached by a client or receives a referral
The agency visits the client and checks their eligibility and their needs and carries out a technical assessment
The agency assesses the available funding streams for the work
If no other funds are available, and the eligibility criteria are met, the agency applies to the Hardship Fund on behalf of the client
The fund administrator checks the details and makes the funds available where eligible, usually within five working days
If the application is for more than £500, the fund administrator passes details of the case to the Trustees for consideration (this will take a little longer)
For full details, please read the guidance notes.
