Are There Furniture Grants For Single Parents?

Single parents in the UK will be pleasantly surprised to find the amount of support that they can benefit from to meet their household costs. Through this blog post, we aim to learn whether single parents can benefit from furniture grants. In addition to this, we will also explore the benefits that they can claim and if the local council authorities can extend any form of support for single parents in their area.

Are There Furniture Grants For Single Parents?

Yes, there are furniture grants to help single parents meet their housing costs. Individuals can choose to contact their council office and seek their guidance in being directed to charities and financial hardship schemes that provide such grants. Alternatively, they can reach out to a charity on their own and apply for a grant.

Some of the leading charities in the UK that help single parents with household costs include the following:

Grants are usually extended to support individuals who are neither on benefits nor are they eligible for them. In addition to this, they don’t have access to public funds. This form of financial support does not need to be paid back and this is the main reason why individuals who are on benefits seek a grant for financial support during challenging times.

However, if you are not successful in finding a charity that meets your needs and you are on benefits, you may consider requesting fro an advance or an interest-free loan on the basis of the benefits that you recieve. This includes Universal Credit, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance.

You can also contact your local council office to find out if they offer Local Welfare Assistance schemes through which you can gain access to grants, interest-free loans or used items at low prices so as to meet your housing needs. Even if your local authority does not have such a scheme, they may be able to connect you to charities that can offer grants or pre-loved items; sometimes at a low price and sometimes free of cost.

Will The Council Help Single Parents With Furniture Costs?

Yes, the council can help with furniture by giving vouchers to residents to purchase furniture through certain schemes or charities. Sometimes this furniture is available at an extremely low cost; while at other times, charities may pay for them while residents use it. 

This means that while councils may not directly pay for the furniture that a council house resident requires, they can connect them to charities who can either offer the pay for the furniture while the resident pays them back in instalments or sometimes they may simply make the payment on behalf of the resident(s) who is not expected to make any payment at all. 

If you are a social housing tenant or your application is in the process you may find that certain council homes are already furnished. 

Can I Claim Benefits If I Am A Single Parent?

Yes, if you are a single parent faced with financial hardship or you are working a fewer number of hours to take care of your children, you can claim certain benefits. Some of these are listed below:

  • You can claim Child Benefit if you are raising a child (or children) younger than 16 years of age and they are in full-time education.
  • If you are between 16 years and below the state pension age, you can claim Universal Credit whether you are on low income or without a job. The amount you receive will be topped up for the children that you are responsible for.
  • You can claim Child Tax Credit for a child under 16 years of age. If you are a new claimant, the amount will be adjusted with your Universal Credit payment as Child Tax Credit (among five other legacy benefits) is being replaced with Universal Credit.

Conclusion:

The facts discussed above make it quite clear that not only will single parents find help to arrange furniture through grants, but there are also welfare assistance programs as well that their council authorities can support them with. They can also be directed towards charities that can provide grants or vouchers to purchase household items including furniture and sometimes they may connect them to people who are selling used items at an affordable price.  

FAQs: Are There Furniture Grants For Single Parents?

What is furniture poverty?

The inability to purchase basic household essentials including white goods is termed furniture poverty. A person or a family living in empty housing, unable to purchase items to furnish their home is in furniture poverty.

What benefits can you get as a single parent?

If you are a single parent and your child (or children) live with you most of the time, you may be able to claim Income Support,  income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.

Who can help me with money urgently in the UK?

If you are in urgent need of money in the UK, you can apply for a hardship payment, advance on benefits, budgeting loans or local welfare assistance through your local council office or the Department for Work and Pensions.

How much does a single mother with one child get on benefits?

If you are a single mother with a child, you can expect to receive £442.31 per week or £23,000 per year on benefits.

How much does a single parent with one child get on Universal Credit?

A single parent with one child can expect to receive £290 a month if their child was born before 6 April 2017 and £244.58 a month if the child was born after 6 April 2017.

References:

Turn2us Grants Search – Gingerbread

Where to get help

Bringing up a child

Local Welfare Assistance Finder – End Furniture Poverty

If you’re struggling with living costs