The Discretionary Assistance Fund gives grants to people who live in Wales. It gives grants to people who

• Need help to live independently in the community; or
• Have experienced an emergency, a crisis or a disaster.

Grants do not need to be paid back. 

There are two types of assistance available from the fund:

• The Individual Assistance Payment, which helps vulnerable people live independently in the community, and
• The Emergency Assistance Payment, which helps people who are in financial need because they have experienced an emergency, a crisis or a disaster.

There is no set amount that you will receive from the fund. The amount you get, if you receive an award, will depend on your needs.

Applies to: Wales

Age rules: You must be aged 16 or over

Type of benefit: Means tested

Taxable: No

 

• The Individual Assistance Payment (IAP)
• The Emergency Assistance Payment (EAP)

The Individual Assistance Payment (IAP)

To be eligible to apply for this, you, or the person you care for must be getting either:

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

You, or the person you care for, must also be:

• Leaving an institution such as a hospital, care home or prison after having lived there for three or more consecutive months (or on a frequent or regular basis), or

• Planning to care for someone leaving an institution as described above and neither of you can afford to meet their needs, or

• Needing help that could stop admittance to an institution, or

• Part of a planned resettlement after a period of homelessness or leaving supported accommodation, or

• Experiencing exceptional and urgent pressures on your household, for example, due to domestic violence, chronic illness, disability or an accident, or

• In need of help with a one-off or short-term travel expense which is essential to you continuing to live independently.

The Emergency Assistance Payment (EAP)

To be eligible to apply for this, you must:

• Not have enough money to meet your basic needs,
  • For example, you have made a claim for benefits but not been paid yet
• have no other money and have considered whether you could borrow money from a responsible lender
• live in Wales
• be over 16

It can be helpful to have support from your local authority or another organisation such as a housing association to make a claim to the Discretionary Assistance Fund. 

You can find your local authority's contact details using the Gov.Wales website.

If you decide to apply direct to the Discretionary Assistance Fund, you can use the Discretionary Assistance Fund form on the Gov.Wales website.

Updated: Aug 2022

If you are not happy with the way your application was dealt with, or with the decision made, you can consider making a complaint or asking for a review of the decision.

You can find information on how to request a review of the decision on the gov.wales website.