Financial support grants

Financial Support grants are designed to help in times of financial difficulty with larger needs. 

Before you apply, please ensure that you have looked at our more specific wellbeing grants (eg holidays, retreats) and emergency grants (car breakdown, funeral and other unexpected costs).

To qualify for one of these grants (one every 12 months), we require information about your household income (including benefits) and assets, who lives with you, and your housing costs.

We then compare your disposable income to a clergy-adapted version of the Minimum Income Standard, which is determined each year by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, to determine if you are eligible for a grant. In the case of clergy for whom housing is provided, we adjust for housing costs.

This is in addition to our eligibility checker, which we recommend you complete in the first instance as we have a property and savings threshold.

Car deposits

Grants are available for a car deposit up to £3,000 (this includes leasing vehicles via the Motability Scheme).

We would advise you to apply to us before committing to finance a new or second-hand car, as your application may not meet our means-test criteria.

Childcare costs

If you are struggling to meet the costs of childcare and are any of the following:

• in full/part-time ministry or work
• in the process of separation, divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership
• living with a health condition or period of illness that has prevented full-time childcare
• aiming to return to ministry/work after maternity/paternity leave

We can consider a grant towards the cost of childcare, up to a maximum £3,000 per year.

In the case of separated individuals, it is likely that we would support the parent with primary custody and in receipt of all relevant child-related benefits.

Please check that you are receiving all government funded-childcare before you apply (up to 30 hours per week or 1,140 hours per year), for children between 3 and 4 years old.

Funeral costs

In the event of a family bereavement (spouse, civil partner or child under the age of 18), we are able to consider grant support up to £4,000 towards the cost of the funeral. We appreciate that applications will be retrospective in nature. We are unable to consider costs towards wake or catering costs.

Alternatively, you may apply for a smaller funeral grant under Emergency grants. This is a simpler application process, with fewer questions and quicker outcomes. These grants are limited to £500.

Unfortunately, we are unable to fund funeral costs for extended family (eg parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, adult children) unless the deceased was an ordained Anglican minister.

If you (or a member of you immediate family) need emotional support in relation to a recent bereavement, please consider applying for a health grant for bereavement counselling support.

Furniture

We are able to fund some essential items of furniture (new or second-hand), eg. beds, sofas, bedroom furniture, chairs, for applicants in need (eg. result of separation or divorce, domestic abuse, single parents, setting up home since becoming homeless, additional furniture required upon first purchased property for retirees, downsizing etc).

We are unable to fund the costs of carpet / flooring for all households. We are unlikely to fund furniture already purchased (retrospective grants), unless the situation is an emergency, where households are in genuine need or where applications are applying to us for the first time.

We will ask if you have contacted your diocese, landlord, housing association or local authority for help in the first instance.

You can also apply for Furniture under Emergency grants. This is a simpler application process where fewer questions are asked and decisions and payments are quicker; however, these grants are limited to £500.

General living expenses

If you are struggling financially and you are in genuine need, you can apply for a general living expenses grant.

Before you apply for this category, please look at the other grants which may meet your specific area of need:

• Emergency Grant (up to £500)
• Wellbeing Grant
• Health Grant

Grants for general living expenses may be considered, up to £3,000, to help with situations such as:

• A temporary change in income
• An unexpected large bill
• Legal fees (including purchase of first property, divorce)
• Rent deposits and advances for those needing to secure somewhere to live
• Other reasonable expenses not covered by other grants

Moving costs

If you are serving clergy moving to a new diocese, we would expect you to approach your diocese for help with moving costs in the first instance. It is unlikely we would help with moving costs in these circumstances.

If you are retired, a widow/er or ex-spouse/civil partner of clergy, we may be able to contribute towards moving costs. If appropriate, you may wish to contact your diocese for help.

If you are physically unable to pack for your move (due to age or disability), we will consider additional costs of a packing service.

Property maintenance

We can only consider property maintenance grants for residing owner-occupiers. Retired clergy living in CHARM properties can also apply (if you are responsible for the maintenance of the property).

We will prioritise help where there is a specific impact on health and safety, eg where there is a medical/long-term condition within the household.

We can consider contributions towards the cost of boiler repairs or replacements, help with damp issues, new flooring, roof repairs, window replacements etc, up to a maximum of £3,000 and on the condition that you are able to fund any remaining cost.

If you are living in private rented accommodation, always check with letting agents/landlords for any property-related repairs that need attention. In exceptional circumstances, we may consider help towards property maintenance costs for private rented tenants, if permission is gained from the landlord.

We are unable to consider property maintenance grants towards any non-residing/investment rental properties or tied clergy housing.

If you live in tied clergy housing, grants are available towards gardening and heating costs, up to £500 under Emergency grants.

Before you apply

To progress any application, we need the support document(s) listed above in the category type above and your verification document(s). Without these, we can't reach a decision.

The video shows you how to successfully:

• register on the application system
• take screenshots (Mac, PC, Phones and Tablets)
• get a copy of your stipend that isn't blank
• attach supporting documents to your application

How to apply

You can apply for one of the above category types per application. So please consider your most urgent area of need. If you have multiple areas of need, consider applying under general living expenses.

If you are serving clergy, then we will ask for a copy of your latest stipend slip (we only require one per calendar year). If you are applying for a specific purpose then please provide a quote, receipt or invoice.

Please check that you are eligible for financial support:

Check your eligibility

Apply

You may also find the questions and guidance helpful.