Crisis Grants

A Crisis Grant can be given to cover the costs of an emergency.

Examples of this could include when:

• there's a fire or flood at home
• you've lost money
• an unexpected crisis happens
• you're a victim of domestic abuse and you need help with things like moving away from an abuser
• you're a grandparent or other relative who has taken over caring for a child, and you're waiting on a transfer of benefits
• you're facing a gap in your normal income because of a redundancy or change at work

Your income

To get a Crisis Grant you need to be on a low income - this doesn't mean you need to be on benefits.

What counts as a low income

There is no figure that will be used to judge whether you have a low income. As a guide, if you're on one of the benefits below, or your income is about the same as someone who is, it's more likely you'll be able to get a Crisis Grant:

• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) - Income based
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - Income based
• Universal Credit

What help you'll get

If you do get a Crisis Grant, your local council will look at helping you with your most urgent living costs.

Some things this may include are help with the costs of:

• food
• heating costs