The Discretionary Assistance Fund

The fund is designed to support those who cannot access any other help and is a fund of last resort. Two types of grants are available:

1. Emergency Assistance Payment

As the name suggests, this is a payment that you may need after an emergency. It is a grant to help with essential costs after an emergency, or if you have experienced a disaster such as a flood or fire in your home, or extreme financial hardship for reasons including delays in benefit payments. The payment will help you cover the cost of food, gas and electricity, clothing and emergency travel. It is not designed to cover ongoing financial shortfalls.

Anyone over the age of 16 can be considered for a grant if they need help to meet expenses due to an emergency or disaster. You do not need to receive any benefits to qualify. You can usually only have three grants in a rolling 12 month period and cannot receive a payment if you have been awarded one in the last 7 days. All awards are discretionary and depend on your current circumstances and needs.

The Discretionary Assistance Fund is able to offer support for off-grid fuel costs until 31 March 2024: 

Ukrainian crisis

The Welsh Government have confirmed that people who have fled from the war in Ukraine will be able to apply for an Emergency Assistance Payment.

To apply you will need to provide a copy of your passport. You will also need to meet the usual conditions of being in extreme financial hardship and in need of immediate financial support due to a crisis situation. The standard limits of up to 3 awards during a 12 month period will apply. 

How to apply for Emergency Assistance Payment

You can apply to the Discretionary Assistance Fund on the Welsh Government website (opens new window).

Alternatively you can ring between 9.30am and 4.00pm Monday to Friday on 0800 8595924 (free from a landline) or 033 0101 5000 (local rate).  

If you are awarded a payment of £56 for a 1 person household or £67 for a two person household, PayPoint will text you the details needed to access the payment at a shop or post office with a PayPoint logo. You can find your local PayPoint store (opens new window) store on their website.

Payments of £111 for a household with 3 or more people will be made by BACS into your bank account. If you do not have access to a bank account, please contact a DAF approved partner for support to access a payment.

2. Individual Assistance Payment

Important: you can only be awarded an Individual Assistance Payment if your application is supported by an approved partner organisation.

Some Swansea Council departments including the Tenancy Support Unit, housing associations, many advice organisations and charities will be approved partners and may be able to assist you if you need this grant due to your circumstances.

The Individual Assistance Payment does not give a cash grant. Instead you will be supplied directly with what you are assessed as needing. This could include white goods (eg washing machine, fridge, cooker or alternative bundle of an air fryer, slow cooker and microwave) or household furniture from a list of available items.

To be eligible you have to meet all three sets of conditions:

1. Meet all the following:
   • be resident in Wales
   • be 16 or over
   • have no other access to savings or funding
   • not be resident in a care home (unless being discharged in 6 weeks)
   • not be currently in prison (unless being discharged in 6 weeks)
   • not be a member of a fully maintained religious order.
2. Get one of the following qualifying benefits:
   • Income Support
   • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
   • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
   • Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
   • Universal Credit
3. Meet one of the following:
   • you are leaving a care home or institution to live independently in the community after a minimum of 3 months in care (for example in hospital, a care home, prison, foster care)
   • you want to stay living in the community rather than having to go into an institution
   • you are setting up home after an unsettled way of life
   • you are facing an exceptional and urgent pressure for example a relationship breakdown or domestic violence
   • you are going to care for a prisoner or young offender released on a temporary license.

How to apply for Individual Assistance Payment

The person from the approved partner organisation can either help you claim online, download and fill in a claim form or phone the Discretionary Assistance Fund on your behalf.