Charities
There are thousands of charities that can provide payments to individuals in need. Some are open to everyone and others are for certain groups only, such as armed service personnel or people with specific disabilities. Many have a committee that considers applications and meets on a cyclical basis.
Some charities expect a person to have exhausted other statutory provisions before approaching them. The organisation Turn2us has a website () with an A–Z of all the charities that can provide financial help and, in many cases, applications for support can be made directly from the website.
The Directory for Social Change publication The Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need provides a list of local and national charities, advises on the most appropriate charity and gives guidance on how to make a successful application. See .
Most charitable payments are ignored for means-tested benefits and tax credits if they are made regularly. Most that are made irregularly are treated as capital and so only affect the benefit if they take the client above the capital limit.