What is a Carers Grant?
A carers grant can enable you to take up a break, activity, service or training that will improve your health or wellbeing. As a carer registered with Carers in Bedfordshire you can apply for a grant online through their website or by post.
The independent panel reviews each application and makes awards against grant criteria. They will send you an email or a letter after the panel has been held at the end of each month.
What can the Carers Grant be used for?
The grant can be used flexibly to help fund something that will improve your health and wellbeing, or training that will help you to gain qualifications to access the job market.
A break doesn’t have to mean a holiday – it can also mean having time away from your caring role to do something for you. This could be something like going for regular massages or going to visit family and friends.
Examples of what you can apply for:
- Day trips and activities
- Stress-relieving therapies
- A holiday break
- Equipment for the home to help with daily tasks
- Gym membership
- Driving lessons
- Training to help with improving your confidence, skills, knowledge or job prospects.
Who are grants for?
Unpaid carers from age four can apply for either:
- Full carers grant. There is no maximum amount you can apply for but the panel is unlikely to award more than £300.
- Fast track grant. The maximum amount you can apply for is £120. Carers can apply for two Fast Track grants per year instead of one full grant. Products or services up to £120 are eligible for fast track.
They can accept a maximum of three applications per household/family per year. In other words, multiple carers in a household/family can apply for either one full grant and one fast track grant or up to three fast track grants between them, per year. Individual carers can apply for one full grant or two fast track grants per year.
By the way, if you get carers allowance you are still an unpaid carer.
Transition grant for former carers – this is available to help you find your way following the death of the person you have been caring for up to one year after your bereavement.
How to apply for a Carers grant
There is now a new, improved and easier to use NHS Carers Grant application system. The new Grant Portal will allow carers to make their applications online with the ability to save their application if they need to come back and complete it at another time, as well as being able to track what stage their application is at once it has been submitted.
Any correspondence, such as award letters, will be uploaded to each carer’s individual portal and carer’s can upload their receipts too. Carers will still need to have their applications endorsed by a professional who knows about their caring role.
Hopefully this will allow carers to have a much easier and more relaxed experience with grants.
Here is the Carers Grant Criteria.pdf you will need to look at before you apply for a grant.
If you would like to apply for a Carers Grant, please fill in your details for access to the Grant Portal in the form below.
Once you have access to the portal:
- Boxes marked with an * must be completed otherwise you will not be able to proceed with the application.
- Have ready the full name, job title, place of work/organisation, email address and phone number available of a professional who knows you and can confirm the grant will help your wellbeing (this is your endorser) before you start filling in the application form.
- The endorsement request will be sent automatically.
If you require any help or assistance in completing this form online then please do not hesitate to contact the grants team.
If you require any help please contact:
grants@carersinbeds.org.uk
When is the deadline for applications?
Full Grant: 4:30pm on the 15th of each month or the working day before the 15th. There are no full panel meetings in December, Full Grant applications will be assessed at the January panel.
Fast Track Grant: We accept applications at any time and aim to give you a decision within two weeks.
