Grants from Brighton and Hove Discretionary Fund

Assistance can be provided within one day from the Brighton and Hove social fund. This is the council’s primary scheme for helping vulnerable families that are in a crisis situation. However, the funding is limited and the council has a strict application process in place before a grant is issued.

There are two main forms of assistance provided by the scheme. The first will be the item itself. The council can arrange for a family to be given a piece of furniture, clothing, or white goods. This items will be provided to the resident within five days. The aim of providing these items is meant to allow the person to continue to live in their home within Brighton and Hove.

The Local Discretionary Fund will also help pay some bills as well. This will be done in the form of a grant or pre-paid card. The council will determine what type of expenses can be paid, but some examples may be funds for buying groceries or food or the scheme can pay utility bills, including gas or electricity.

Terms of the discretionary funds

The Brighton & Hove council will closely assess all applications. Some of the key criteria to be eligible are below.

The applicant needs to live in the district and be over the age of 16.
A strict review of their income and savings will take place. The family needs to be either currently receiving benefits or able to apply when factoring in their income. It can be any benefit, such as housing or Pension Credit.
A grant is only paid out as a last resort, if the family has no savings, friends, or family they can turn to for help.

The applicant will need proof of all of this. The council may ask for bank statements, information on their income, and also Post Office & building society account. If the application has any fraud in it, then the authorities can take legal action against the applicant.

Types of bills paid by the Brighton & Hove Fund

Whenever someone is approved, the council will always look for the best way to assist the family. Any grants from the Local Discretionary Social Fund will be limited and that is not the first option. Instead, it is more likely the person will be referred to free debt advice centres, get help in entering into payment plans with their creditors or maybe sent to a local foodbank or recycling centre for furniture.

When it comes to financial aid, there will not be any cash given to the individual. The council will only do one of two things. They may offer a grant that is paid directly to the company that is owed money, such as a fuel supplier or landlord. But this is not as common.

In most cases, the council will issue a pre-paid card to the individual. It will have a certain amount of funds on it, and then it can be used to obtain groceries at a food bank or to maybe top off a pre-paid electric meter. Or if the resident needs help with any other needs, those can also be covered. The card will only be approved for certain types of bills so the person can’t use it for any expenses that the council did not decide can be paid.

Also, many people need additional assistance from agencies such as Social Care services, NHS, housing agencies or a charity. In these cases the customer support team from Brighton & Hove can signpost for these. Those services will give the person a holistic approach to solving their hardship. There are also many referrals given to prevent homelessness, and residents can find more information on assistance for housing needs.

Applications can be made using internet points at Customer Service Centres in Hove Town Hall, local libraries, or the office in Bartholomew Square. Or if the resident can’t apply online for some valid reason, then they can call the customer support team at 01273 293117.