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Age Concern Waltham Forest

Charity Number: 1048212

Social Fund is a government fund that makes payments to people in need. It is divided into two parts:

Regulated Social Fund-This provides, funeral payments, cold weather payments and winter fuel payments. You are legally entitled to a payment if you satisfy the regulations. You can appeal against the decision.

Discretionary social fund-This provides grants and interest-free loans for needs that are difficult to meet from weekly benefits.

There are three types of discretionary payments.

Community care grants are intended to promote community care by assisting people on income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or pension credit to live independently in the community.

Budgeting loans are interest free, repayable loans to help people who have been on Income Support, income based Job Seeker's Allowance or Pension Credit for at least 26 weeks to meet intermittent expenses for specified items for which it may be difficult to budget, enabling the cost to spread over time.

Crisis loans are interest-free repayable loans for people (whether on benefit or not). unable to meet their immediate short-term needs in crisis. However unlike the regulated social fund there is no legal entitlement to a payment. Payments are discretionary and budget limited and decisions subject to review rather than appeal.

You should apply for a community care grant on form SF300, a budgeting loan on form SF500 and a crisis loan on form SF401, all available from your local social security or Jobcentre Plus offices.

Walthamstow Jobcentre

Grosvenor Park Road

Walthamstow, E17 9PE

Tel: 020 8219 8600

Leytonstone Jobcentre Plus

Robart House

1-3 Lemna Road

Leytonstone, E11 1JJ

Tel: 020 8988 5300

Textphone: 020 8988 5303

Website: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

Social Fund

Age Concern Waltham Forest > Help & Advice > Welfare Benefits >

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