If you're having trouble getting to grips with our grants, processes or application system, read through the sections below for further guidance.

This Christmas, applications and verifications will close on Monday 9 December 2024, midday, and will reopen on Monday 6 January 2025, midday.

This will give our hard-working team, processing more applications than ever before, the chance to rest and recharge. Find out more.

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Registering

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You only have to Register once

However, if you are serving clergy, we will ask for eligibility verification to be renewed regularly, at least every 12 months.

We'll let you know by email when your renewal is due, and this will also appear as an 'Open Requirement' in your account. You will be unable to apply until you renew your verification.

If you are a widowed, divorced or separated clergy spouse, we will only ask for this evidence once. However, you need to tell us if you marry again or start living with a new partner as this may impact your eligibility.

Verification can take up to 10 working days

Each eligibility verification is checked by a member of our Charitable Services team, and we are anticipating a high number of people registering within the first few weeks of our new system opening.

If you are not in urgent need, please consider delaying your registration by a few weeks, so we can prioritise our response to those who need it most.

Applying

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The system will remember your information

Whenever you click 'Save and Next', your application will automatically save. You can log out and come back to complete your application later. Just remember to click 'Save and Next'.

When you next log in, go to 'Grant Applications – Partially completed application’ to continue. Once you have completed your application, click 'Submit', so that we can assess and make a decision.

How to provide supporting documentation

If we require further information, or documentation to assess your application, we will send you a Requirement Request. This will appear under 'Open Requirements'.

We may also ask you for quotes, receipts, or invoices as a Requirement Request, which you can upload in 'Open Requirements'. If we have sent you a Requirement Request, we cannot assess your application until you have provided it.

I need to tell you about my savings and property

We ask all applicants to update their current savings and property ownership declaration each time they apply.

This is because we recognise this can change over time. It must be a true, honest and accurate reflection of your household situation at the point you are applying for support.

For more information on how we take savings and property into account, and to see if your savings and property will affect what support you are eligible for, visit our Eligibility Checker.

I need to evidence my connection to a clergy person

Are you struggling to provide evidence of your previous connection to a clergy person?

If you are a widowed, divorced, or separated spouse/partner of a clergy person and you have applied to us before, we may be able to help. We hold some core data on previous applications, which may include your evidence.

If you are a widowed, divorced, or separated spouse/partner of a clergy person and this is your first application, we may be able to suggest a form of evidence you haven't thought of.

Please get in touch at grants@clergysupport.org.uk to see if we can help verify your eligibility.

After you've applied

The next step is for the application to be assessed and a decision made. To keep updated on your application's status, log in and look under 'Completed Applications'.

Although your household has been verified as eligible to apply for grants, we still need to assess every application against our current criteria, and we are anticipating a high number of applications in the first few weeks of 2024.

Some of our grants, like Emergency grants, can be processed quickly, once we’ve received all the information we need. These can take up to 4 weeks. Other grants, such as Financial Support or Health grants, may take 8 weeks or more for a decision.

After we've assessed your application

We will send you an outcome email, which will outline and confirm our decision.

The status of your application within the application system will also be updated. To check your application's status, log in and look under 'Completed Applications'.

If there are no conditions attached, the grant will be paid into your bank account within 2-3 working days of the notification, or to a relevant service provider.

In the case of larger grant amounts, we may choose to spread these throughout the year to help you budget, or to limit the impact it may have on any state benefits you are receiving.

Grants

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Using your grant

The new grants criteria have more defined categories, and we would expect a grant given to meet the need for which you have applied. For example, If you have applied and received a grant for ‘General living expenses’, this can be used to help your current situation, to support you and your family.

For most applicants, we would normally be unable to provide grants totalling more than £6,000 in any 12 months (with the exception of Health, Debt support and School fees), although each application is viewed on its own merits.

Charitable payments are normally disregarded for means tested benefits. We would always advise households to seek professional advice in relation to individual circumstances.

Applying by post

Applying online is the quickest method and hence will speed up the processing of your application. However, you can also apply using a paper application which can be posted to you.

To request a paper application:

Technical

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I'm having difficulty logging in

If you’re struggling to log in, please check you are using the correct email address which you registered on the system.

If you cannot remember the email address you have registered with, contact our team at grants@clergysupport.org.uk.

If you have forgotten your password, there is an option to reset your password yourself, by clicking on 'Forgotten My Password’.

I need to update my information

You can update your personal information under 'Update Contact Details' and 'Update Applicant Type'. You will be able to tell us about changes in roles, addresses, contact details or marital status.

Some of our support is specifically for clergy at different stages in their ministry, so it’s important to keep your information up to date. If you are updating your applicant type, we will need evidence of your new status (eg. if you have been ordained).

I need to apply on behalf of someone else

If you have Power of Attorney for a serving or retired clergy person, or a widow or former spouse/partner of a clergy person, you can set up and register their details on their behalf.

If you do not have Power of Attorney, please contact us for help and advice at grants@clergysupport.org.uk.

My partner/spouse needs to set up an account

When you first set up your household account, you can create a second contact for your spouse/partner. They will then be able to create their own log-in and apply for grants and services in their own name.

You and your spouse/partner will both be able to see any active applications you or they have made. The total amount that the household is eligible for doesn't change if two people in the same household apply separately. It remains the same.

I need to upload receipts/invoices

If you have been asked to provide receipts, booking confirmations or invoices after a grant has been given, these will be requested through 'Open Requirements'.

We require these for our own internal audit purposes and to ensure our grants are being spent on their intended purposes.

If multiple receipts or requirements are outstanding, we reserve the right to delay the assessment of any future grant applications.

I was unable to apply when applications were suspended last year

If you are verified as an applicant and you incurred unexpected or unforeseen costs from 27 November 2023 – 16 January 2024, and you are applying retrospectively, we can consider your application.

As usual, we can only consider retrospective costs from three months prior and as a one-off.  Any retrospective application will be considered as one of your grants for 2024.

Can I log in to the new system with my old password?

No. When you register for a new account on our new system, you go through our validation process. Once you have been validated and you receive an email from us confirming this, you will be asked to create a new password.

It may take up to 10 working days for us to validate your account, however you will only have to go through this process once.

If you attempt to log into the new system before we have verified you - or if you attempt to log in with your details from our previous application system - you will be unable to proceed.

In this section

Have another question?

If you have a question that you have not been able to find an answer to on our website, please email our Charitable Services team at grants@clergysupport.org.uk

 

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