Community care grant and crisis grant

Community care grant

The Community Care Grant can help you to cope if you have special difficulties. We will normally make awards by giving goods such as furniture and appliances. Where this is not possible, we may make cash payments that are tax free and do not have to be paid back.

Community Care Grants will be considered within 15 working days, therefore if you have applied within the last few days please allow us time to consider your claim since claims are usually dealt with in the order that they are received. We will contact you if we require any further information.

A Community Care Grant could help you:

  • return to the community after being in care
  • stay in your own home rather go into care
  • set up home in the community after having an unsettled way of life, as part of a planned programme to resettle you
  • care for a prisoner or young offender when they leave prison or on temporary licence
  • ease exceptional pressures on a family

What the grant can cover

Some examples of the things the grant can help with are:

  • furniture such as a sofa, armchair or bed
  • household equipment such as a cooker or fridge
  • bedding and clothing
  • certain travel costs
  • removal expenses
  • storage charges or connection charges

A Community Care Grant may not be awarded if the applicant or their partner has savings over £700 if they are below pension age, or savings over £1.2k if above pension age.

How to apply

You can apply by completing an online application. If you are completing the online application, you must have pop-ups enabled on your device before you begin. We aim to make a decision within 15 working days of receiving a fully completed application.

You may also download an application form, complete and return it to any contact centre. If you would like help with your application or you wish to apply over the phone please phone 0300 100 1800 to arrange a call back interview.

If you are successful we will normally supply, deliver and install the goods however other payment means of awards are available in exceptional circumstances.

If your application is unsuccessful and you don’t agree with our decision you can request a review.

Customer Advice and Support Service

Address: Council Headquarters
Newtown St. Boswells
Melrose
TD6 0SA

Telephone: 0300 100 1800