Cash in a crisis - Shelter Cymru (2024)

You might be able to get help with your money if you are in a crisis. Look at the different options below and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you are under 25, check out our Emergency Help with Moneypages in our young person’s portal.

You may be able to get help from the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF), which provides urgent grants to people in Wales as a last resort. The DAF can include awards for certain electrical white goods, such as fridges and cookers, in addition to household items such as beds, bedding, curtains and kitchen items. Grants do not need to be paid back.

There are 2 types of grant from the DAF :

Individual Assistance Payments (IAPs)

In some urgent situations, IAPs can help if you are trying to move house or stay in your current home. There are some qualifying conditions and, to be eligible, you must be:

• entitled to, and in receipt of, Income Support, income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance,Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit,Universal Credit, or
• due to leave an institution or care home within 3 months, and likely to be entitled to receive one of the above benefits on leaving.

There are certain other situations when you might be able to get an IAP, for example, if:

• you want to stay living in the community rather than having to go into an institution (hospital or care home)
• you are setting up home after an unsettled way of life
• you need to move home quickly due to a relationship breakdown or domestic violence
• you are going to care for a prisoner or young offender released on a temporary license

For more information about eligibility for an IAP, see Gov.wales .

Emergency Assistance Payments (EAPs)

EAPs can help meet expenses as a result of an emergency or disaster and might be able to help pay towards heating your home in the event of extreme weather. To get an EAP, you must:

• be in extreme financial hardship, for example you’ve lost your job, applied for benefits and waiting for your first payment or have no money to buy food, gas and electricity
• be in a crisis situation and in need of immediate financial support
• live in Wales
• be over 16
• have no other money for example savings, and considered all other legal and responsible lenders such as credit unions

The EAP is a small, short-term grant available to cover the immediate emergency needs and can be awarded towards essential needs such as food, gas, electricity, essential clothing and emergency travel. You do not have to be receiving any benefit to qualify, but you must show that you have tried other sources of affordable funding before applying.

For more information about eligibility for an EAP, see Gov.wales.

To apply online, click here. You can also apply by ringing 0800 859 5924 (9.30am – 4pm Mon-Fri).

Get helpif your application for a DAF is unsuccessful. An adviser may be able to persuade them to offer you some help or be able to help you access other sources of help.

For information on the DAF in welsh, see here.

Food banks provide food parcels to people in need. They are often run by church or community groups.

Some food banks offer a hot meal and advice. If you live in a rural area and cannot afford to travel to collect your box, some food banks offer a free delivery service.

Contact theTrussell Trustto find your nearest food bank and then contact them to see what they offer in your area.

You need a voucher to use a food bank. You then swap this at the food bank for food.

You can get food bank vouchers from:

• Citizens Advice and other advice centres
• Jobcentre Plus
• GP surgeries, health visitors and social workers.

If you have claimed benefits and are waiting for your first payment, you may be able to ask for an advance payment, also known as a short-term benefit advance.

You can ask for this if there is a delay in processing your benefit claim which isn’t your fault, or you are waiting for an increase in your benefit paymentsdue toa change in yourcirc*mstances.

To be eligible, you must be claiming an income-related benefit such as jobseeker’s allowance, income supportor employment & support allowance. You need to prove that you are experiencing financialhardship.

You usually have to repaythebenefit advancewithin threemonths, but in some circ*mstancesyou have up to sixmonths to pay back the money.

If you have applied for Universal Credit and don’t have enough to live on while you wait for your first payment you may be able to get a Universal Credit advance.

If your benefits have stopped because of a sanction, you might be able to apply for hardship payments. You will need to prove that you or your partner will have problems paying for essential living costs. If you’re homeless, pregnant, a single parent or vulnerable (perhaps because of an illness), you should be able to get a hardship payment straightaway.

You don’t usually have to repay a hardship payment.

If your Universal Credit has been sanctioned, see Citizens Advice here. If your JSA has been sanctioned, see Citizens Advice here.

Budgeting loans are interest-free loans available only to people claiming certain income-related benefits.

There are two types of loan, depending on which benefits you are claiming:

• budgeting loans– if you claim income support, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance orpension credit

• budgeting advances – if you claim universal credit.

You may be able to get help from the council with the costs of renting your home. Local councils can provide help through:

• housing benefit
• local housing allowance (LHA) if you rent privately
• universal credit housing costs
• council tax reductions
• discretionary housing payments (DHP).

You can also contactyour council’s housing options or homelessness services for advice. Your local council may be able to offer financial help to help prevent you becoming homeless.

Get helpimmediately if you already haverent arrears or mortgage arrears.

Rather than getting a bank overdraft or spending money on your credit card,credit unionsare a more affordable optionif you need to borrow money for a short time.Credit unions won’t let you borrow more than they think you can pay back and the interest rates are low.

Try to avoid bank overdrafts, spending money on yourcredit card and borrowing frompayday loan companies. These are very expensive ways to borrow money, especially if you don’t repay them in time.

Have a look at our page on other benefits or find out what other benefit help you might be able to claim byusing the entitledto Benefits Calculator.

If you are under 25 and have money worries, take a look at our Money matters advice page, specifically put together for young people.

If you are struggling to pay your debts then get advice as soon as you can. Click here to find details of our free, specialist, independent, confidential debt advice service in Wales.