Grants Programme

Friends of the Elderly’s grants programme is designed to assist older individuals facing financial difficulties. Our aim is to provide support to older people who are struggling to make ends meet and to ensure they are able to live with dignity and in comfort.

To be awarded a grant, the person should be:

Resident in England or Wales
Over state pension age
On a low income
Savings under £4000

Grants are usually in the region of £600 or less. Occasionally, we can make a small number of grants of up to £1000.
Grants can be used to cover essential expenses such as purchasing a new fridge, paying unexpected bills, food, clothing, covering gas and electricity costs, and many other things.

How to Apply?

An online application can be made either through a referral agent on behalf of the older person or by the older person themselves.

There are 2 ways to apply.

Route 1 – Referral Agent

Professionals working with older people, applying on behalf of an older person in need

You should use this route if

You are a professional working with an older person
You are an older person who has a key worker, social worker, or advice worker, or who can access organisations like Age UK, Citizens’ Advice, to complete the application for you.
You are an older person who does not have an email address and is not online, and is not able to use your mobile phone/computer to do the application.

Our guidance documents below cover the eligibility criteria, examples of potential referral agents and the eligibility evidence we require.

Professional Referral Agents can register and apply online here:
REFERRAL AGENT LOGIN

Route 2 – For Individual applying for yourself

You should use this option if you are an older person who is tech savvy (or someone close to you is) and you are happy to apply online using the Lightning Reach portal.

We’ve partnered with Lightning Reach to help you access the financial support you’re eligible for.

Lightning Reach connects users to 2,500 financial support schemes (not just ours) from charities, organisations, and councils. Over £15m has already been awarded to individuals and households, with successful applicants receiving an average of £1,070.

A wide range of support is available, including:

● Help with energy and utility bills

● Support for rent, council tax, and other household costs

● Funding for essential home items like furniture and appliances

● Assistance with food, clothing, and daily essentials

Create your free profile today to discover support tailored just for you.

Find & apply for support online now GRANTS APPLICATION LOGIN

If you need to speak to us prior to applying, please email our team at [email protected] for the quickest response.

Alternatively, you can leave us a message on 0330 332 1110 and a member of the team will call you back within 5 working days.

Thanks for your patience.

How a Friends of the Elderly Grant supported…

James, 67, lives in London in supported housing with centralised washing facilities. Following a stroke, deterioration in his mobility has made accessing these facilities very difficult.

“I had a lot of problems…One day I had a hospital appointment and I needed to wear clean clothes – but they were all dirty. That, I think, was the day that I really felt really bad. I thought, ‘give me some strength’. I felt helpless. I had to go to the hospital in clothes that were dirty.”

James raised the issue with a support worker from the Stroke Association, who said that they could get help. There was space for a washing machine in James’s flat, so they applied to Friends of the Elderly who gave James a grant for a new washing machine.

Read how our grants transformed James’ life.