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- Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:29 pm #143485 I have been told many stories about applying for this grant, and hope someone from here can help me.

I need to apply for a cooker, big enough for six people
[hubby on incapacity benefit]

But at the same time I feel guilty if I ask for to much, yet people have told me that I may need to ask for more than I require, as the dss may not give you the full amount you are asking for.

Can anyone shed any light on this subject at all?

thanks so much

- Wed Mar 21, 2007 2:38 pm #143498 Hi, yes I have been told that you never get what you ask for, always less.

After you've sent your application off, you'll get an offer letter back, with the repayments on. You get two different offers in the letter, so you just accept the amount you need.

Hope this helps.

- Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:55 am #143617 I think that you can borrow up to £1000, so say your cooker is £500, ask for £700 and you will probably get the £500.

- Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:50 am #143631 hi thanks for the info, i was thinking of the Community Care Grant, the one you dont have to pay back, do you have any advice about these?

- Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:25 pm #143789 No advice, but wanted to say good luck.

We applied recently as we had gone from 20th December until last week with NO income, and had no money to buy food or pay any utilities.

They wrote back saying no, it was not a matter of the health & safety of our family.

Well, maybe my mistake, but surely eating with a 2.5 year old and paying your elec & gas is a matter of heath & safety??

They can't have what I haven't got!

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- Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:07 am #143885 thanks tease, will let you know how we get on with this

someone said to post it the last day of march to get there on the 1st april when the new financial year starts, as this is when they get more money to use
dont know if its true, but thats what we shall do, and i will let you know what happens

- Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:21 pm #143990 Thats right, the new financial year for local authorities starts on the 1st Monday in April which is the 2nd April so date your application accordingly.

"The cost of living is going up and the chance of living is going down"

- Sat Mar 24, 2007 6:58 pm #144114 Tease, can you not appeal to the decision? Surely there must be misunderstanding on their part. Sorry to hear that by the way
Good luck...

- Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:24 am #144154 Hi, with the appeal, I think it maybe a little different to other grants and such.
From what I understand of it, the dss are only given a certain amount of money each year for this grant, so once it has gone, it has gone, I think this may have been the case for Tease, who applied on the 20th December, when maybe the pot was empty, they should have offered a loan instead

this is only a guess to be honest, the whole system confuses me no end!
I will send the application for this grant away on the saturday before 1st April, and date it for the 2nd April, and see what happens, Maybe Tease should do the same?

thanks anyway, I have asked for £700 for a cooker and £50 for a single mattress, i think, £750 in total, may see if I am lucky about £500

Will let you all know in a few weeks time what happens

thanks again for the help

- Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:38 am #144187 Hope you get the cash PG

- Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:59 am #145247 hi

just to let you know i posted the form last night should be on the desk on 1st April and opened on Monday morning, will let you know the outcome, if we don't get it, then i don't know, may have to find credit from someplace to replace cooker which i don't want to do at all

oh well, will keep you posted

thanks for the help.

- Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:18 pm #145329 problemsgone, good luck with the application. I hope it all goes well. If you don't get good news, don't apply for high interest credit. Keep an eye on freecycle, in fact put a "wanted" ad describing what you need. Majority of the goods advertised on freecycle are in perfect condition. The reason they give them away for free is simply because they can't be bothered with the hassle to sell. And freecycle helps reducing landfill. If you aren't a member, you can find your local one here:

http://www.freecycle.org/groups/unitedkingdom

- Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:14 am #145375 Hi yep know about freecycle, only trouble is we are such a small village, things like that are given to family, so theres not much call for freecycle this end!
thanks anyway

- Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:12 pm #146055 Hello

Only just joined so maybe a bit late on this one.

I used to work for the Social Fund a few years ago

Community Care Grants are quite difficult to get as they are dependant upon the information provided on the application form and the mood of the Social Fund Officer making the decision. The trick is to lay it on thick and dont apply for the most expensive items. That way you may at least get something.

You may also need to be getting a "qualifying Benefit" as well. See attached link at http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Cus ... 8.xml.html

If you do not get the CCG, try for a budgetting Loan, again you need to be on a qualifying benefit, but the repayments will be really low and without interest. the repayments are normally spread over an 18 month period.

The key is being on a qualifying benefit.

Good Luck

- Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:24 am #146080 hi, thanks for that, the issue i have is of course a cooker! which i have been told is a priority, i did lay it on thick, we can only hope!

its a no to the loan, my husband took one out to cover my bankruptcy, and since then, of course we dont want anymore debt over our heads.

if they say no, we shall appeal, but with two adults and four kids in the house, i dont think they can say no.

i will let you know how we get on anyway.

and thanks again