Family Fund Grant Programmes
Overview
Grants for families living in Northern Ireland
Whether you need a kitchen appliance like a fridge, cooker or washing machine; clothing and bedding; sensory or play equipment; technology for your child, or a much-needed family break, they aim to help.
Apply for items that will help meet your child’s additional support needs, and make life easier.
Eligibility
Families in Northern Ireland can apply for a Family Fund grant every 24 months. You can apply if:
- you’re the main carer for a disabled or seriously ill child aged 17, or younger
- you have been resident in Northern Ireland for at least six months
- you have a low income from working, or benefits
The base their decisions on the Social model of disability. This means they focus on the support a child or young person needs and not just on a medical diagnosis or if an award of Child Disability Payment (CDP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Adult Disability Payment (ADP) or Personal Independence payment (PIP) has been made. To be eligible, a child or young person must need a high level of support in at least three out of seven key areas they consider.
To submit an application, you must meet both the child and young person and household eligibility criteria below.
Child and young person eligibility
To establish if their criteria is met they need information about your child’s disability or serious illness.
If your child needs a high level of support in at least three of the areas below, you may be eligible to apply to them:
Seven areas of support
| Personal care: | your child needs a high level of physical support with feeding, washing, toileting or moving and transferring. |
| Access to social activities: | your child needs a high level of support to engage socially, and take part in, activities. |
| Education; | your child needs a high level of support with education and learning. Please let us know who gives this assistance, and in what ways. |
| Communication: | your child needs a high level of support listening, speaking and understanding. |
| Supervision and vigilance: | your child needs a high level of supervision and measures to ensure their safety. |
| Medical or therapeutic treatment, or condition management: | your child needs a high level of support in the form of treatment or therapy. Please let us know what therapy your child is given, who does this, how often and when. |
Physical environment and specialist resources: | your child needs a high level of support with physical adaptations and adjustments. Please let us know what specialist equipment or resources are used. |
Household eligibility
They support families on a low income, whether they are working or receiving one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Related Employment Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit
You will need to send them a copy of your most recent benefit entitlement. This can be a letter or a screenshot, showing the name of your family’s main carer, and current address.
You can still apply if you don’t receive any benefits. They just need you to provide some extra information about your household income, or speak to someone to confirm your family income and situation. Unfortunately, they are not usually able to award a grant if you have a significant level of household income, savings or capital.
Grants can be used to purchase:
- Family breaks
- Clothing
- Computers and tablets
- Days out
- Furniture and household
- Kitchen appliances
- Sensory toys
- How to use – Games, Books and Music
- Games console
- Outdoor play
- Specialist trikes / bikes
- Clubs, hobbies and activities
Your Opportunity (18 to 24 year olds)
Your Opportunity is a dedicated grants programme which aims to enhance the life of disabled or seriously ill young adults.
Young people cannot apply on their own but applications should come from parents or carers.
Funding for Your Opportunity is limited and applications are accepted from families on a first-come, first-served basis, until funding is fully allocated.
Who can apply?
You can apply for your young adult if you can say yes to all the following:
- you are the main parent, or carer, of a disabled or seriously ill young adult aged 18 to 24, who lives at home with you
- you have not received a Your Opportunity grant, on behalf of this young adult, in the past 12 months
- you have lived in the UK for the last six months
- you are a family on a low income from work, or benefits such as Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit etc.
Eligibility criteria
The young adult you’re applying for needs to have a high level of support needs, in three or more of the following areas, to meet their eligibility criteria (see seven areas listed above).
What can you apply for?
You may find the following ideas and examples helpful when thinking about what would benefit your young adult:
- digital equipment – including laptops, tablets or software to help with learning, coursework or gaming
- clubs and activities – membership fees, sports training, support with season tickets or materials for a hobby
- musical instruments – contributions towards an instrument of your choice
- sports equipment – kit or uniforms, specialist equipment, such as a specialist sport or lightweight wheelchair, or wheelchair maintenance
- transport – railcards, train tickets or bus passes
- day trips – tickets for the cinema, theatre, concerts or meals out
- support for learning – books, stationery or uniform, to support further education, training or vocational courses, including conferences or study weekends
- driving ambitions – contributions for a provisional licence, including licence costs, learning materials, theory tests or initial lessons
- bedroom furniture – assistance with beds and bedding, or televisions
- white goods – kitchen items such as fridge freezers, cookers or washing machines, to help with independence.
Family Fund Mobility Support
The Family Fund Mobility Support programme is aimed at families raising a disabled or seriously ill child under three years old with significant mobility needs.
Through the programme, they can provide a car-leasing package for a limited period to make transport for your child easier and more practical, so you can take your child to medical appointments, or even just get around day-to-day. If eligible for the programme, Family Fund will cover the costs of the monthly rental instalments for the duration of the lease vehicle.
The Family Fund Mobility Support programme covers the period between birth and the age of three (which is when the national Motability scheme kicks in). If your child continues to have mobility needs, from the age of two years and nine months, you can apply for the high rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance and consider lease car options through the national Motability scheme.
You can apply for this programme if:
- You have applied and were eligible for a wider Family Fund grant
- You are on a low-income
- Your child is under three years of age
- You are the parent or carer and you (or someone significantly involved in your child’s care) have a full valid UK driving licence
- Nobody else in the household is already leasing a vehicle through the Motability scheme
Your child’s condition means that they:
- cannot travel without substantial equipment such as a mobility aid, oxygen or monitoring equipment, or
- cannot travel on public transport because it would compromise their immunity, or
- experience high levels of pain or a physical condition that makes mobility difficult, or
- have to attend a significant number of medical appointments at multiple treatment centres, or
- have an unstable condition and may need unexpected emergency inpatient treatment.
The program covers
- Rental instalments for the duration of hire
- Car insurance
- Servicing
- Repairs and maintenance
- Breakdown cover
Further help
You can find more information on services for families in Northern Ireland at the Family Support NI website.