Community support awards
Community support awards are usually provision of basic household items and furniture.
Additional criteria for community support awards
To get a community support award, you also need:
- to have savings of less than £500 or less than £1,000 if you or your partner have reached the Pension Credit qualifying age
- to be in receipt of qualifying benefits
You must be getting one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (housing element included)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit
When you can get a community support award
You may qualify for a community support award if:
- you and your family are under exceptional pressure, for example, due to a relationship breakdown, a house fire or flooding
- you or a member of your family is returning to the community from formal care, for example, a care home, hospital or prison
- you're on a resettlement programme following homelessness or domestic violence
- you or someone you care for needs help to stay in the community
- you're caring for a prisoner or young offender on release on a temporary licence
- you have one-off travel expenses for certain journeys, for example, visiting someone in hospital
When you cannot get a community support award
Situations that usually won't qualify for a community support award include:
- educational or training needs
- regular travel expenses
- school meals
- expenses in connection with court
- home help or respite care
- medical, surgical, optical, aural or dental items or services
- work-related expenses
- Council Tax and water charges
- housing-related costs such as flooring
- rent deposits
- fuel and standing charges
- telephone costs
- maternity or funeral expenses