What is it?
The Hardship Fund offers grants to those living in the UK only. Grants of up to £2,000 are available for eligible individuals and families, but only in exceptional circumstances will individual grants exceed £500.
The Foundation distributes both Zakat and Sadaqah funds; please read our Zakat Distribution Policy for more information. Sadaqah funds are available for all people of all faiths and none. Zakat funds are only available for Muslim applicants.
To be eligible for a small grant or donation, the following criteria must be met.
Priorities
The Foundation’s trustees give priority to:
- the most financially excluded people
- families over individuals
- those with caring responsibilities
- items that will make the most difference to the individual/family’s long-term future
What we fund
Other than in exceptional cases, Hardship Grants will only be made available for:
- Household items (white goods and occasionally other items i.e. sofas, wardrobes etc.)
- Basic Living Expenses (Utilities or food)
- Work- or education-related expenses (interview clothes, school uniforms, laptops)
- Rent arrears and Council tax arrears, but only where there is a clear and obvious risk of homelessness (for rent arrears involving a social landlord please outline what support has already been offered to your tenant)
- Contribution to immigration-related costs, where the current immigration status directly causes financial hardship to the applicant
What we do NOT fund:
- Higher education tuition fees or maintenance during study
- Private school fees for primary or secondary education
- Repayments of credit card debts
- Pet care
- Water bill arrears
- Flooring or carpets
- Non-essential items (such as TV licences or TVs)
- Applicants who are already on an IVA or debt management solution
- Unspecified costs
If you have already received a grant from us we will be unable to give you another grant. Applications are assessed every six weeks and you can expect a response within eight weeks of your application.
Guidelines
Please do not apply without reading the guidance below and ensuring the applicant is suffering significant hardship.
Applications will only be accepted where they are made on an individual’s behalf by a third-party social organisation (e.g. charity, public body, social landlord, voluntary organisation, school etc.) acting as a referral partner, with a supporting statement/letter from the organisation. We are unable to help individuals source a referral partner.
The referral partner must remain involved in the application and award process from start to finish and they must be able to manage the disbursal of grants if awarded. Grants are only paid via reimbursement of receipts, so the referral partner must be able to make payments in advance in order to be reimbursed.
Please ensure that you have read our Zakat Distribution Policy if you are applying for Zakat funds. Please note the key criteria for Zakat funds are for the applicant to be a Muslim.
- Eligibility
Hardship Grants are available to residents living in the UK only.
To be eligible for a small grant or donation, the following criteria must be met:
- We prioritise the most financially excluded people
- We prioritise items that will make the most difference
- Additional weight is given to those with caring responsibilities
What we fund:
- Household items (white goods and occasionally other items i.e. sofas, wardrobes etc.)
- Basic Living Expenses (Utilities or food)
- Work or Education related expenses (interview clothes, laptops and occasionally school uniform)
- Rent arrears and Council tax arrears where there is a clear and obvious risk of homelessness (For rent arrears involving a social landlord please outline what support has already been offered to your tenant)
- Contribution to immigration related costs where the current immigration status directly causes financial hardship to the applicant
What we do NOT fund:
- Higher education tuition fees or maintenance during study
- Repayments of credit card debts
- Private school fees for primary or secondary education
- Non-essential items (such as TV licences or TVs)
- Pet care
- Water bill arrears
- Flooring or carpets
- Applicants who are already on an IVA or debt management solution
- Unspecified costs (please be explicit in what you’re applying for and how much it will cost)
- School trips
- Car repairs
- Holidays
- Other help you should seek before applying to COSARAF Foundation Hardship Fund
Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they are taking advantage of all support offered by local services, including the referring social organisation. Other sources of funding must have been exhausted.
How much help is available?
You could receive up to a maximum of £2,000 in one year, but only in exceptional cases will an individual receive a grant of more than £500. It is not possible to apply more than once in a 12-month period.
- How to apply
Applications can only be made by a recognised social organisation (e.g. charity, public body, social landlord, voluntary organisation, school etc.) on -an individual’s behalf. The Awarders will rely on the social organisation’s assessment of need, so you must ensure that you give as much information as possible and that the details are accurate. All the information will be treated confidentially.
Please ensure full budget details are submitted on the form, all expenses must be included and accounted for, including costs for children, leisure, bills etc.
The support letter must be written on letterheaded paper and signed by the referral partner. Please include as much detail in this, explaining the applicant’s reasons for hardship and needs. Full background details of their circumstances should also be included, as this will enable our trustees to make an informed decision. Generic letters of support will not be accepted.
Awards are made from the COSARAF Foundation Hardship Fund every eight to ten weeks. The Hardship -Fund committee meets once every six weeks to discuss recent applications. We are not an emergency relief fund.
- Application form
Please find a link to the application form on the APPLY NOW button.
Individuals should not fill in the form. Only social organisation, acting as a referral partner, should complete the form. Referral partners should not edit the form electronically or change the layout.
Please ensure you have selected the current fund option between Sadaqah and Zakat. Non-Muslim’s cannot apply for Zakat funds.
Applicants should not contact us directly. We will not liaise with individual applicants. We only communicate directly with the referral partner.
We only liaise with the referral partner. The referral partner will be informed of the outcome of the application within six to eight weeks of the application submission.
- Receiving an award
If an award is granted, it is the responsibility of the referral partner to make disbursements to the applicant and ensure proof of expenditure is submitted to us, for reimbursement. We do not pay funds directly to the applicant and we do not pay funds in advance for purchases.
If awarded, all grant funds must be spent within 2 months of the grant being awarded. All receipts must be sent within 60 days of the grant being awarded.
Please note, items such as clothing and white goods should be sourced cost-effectively and must be of good value. Inappropriate spends, such as designer clothing and items not specified in the grant award, will not be reimbursed.
If receipts are not sent in time, payments may not be awarded and future applications from the referral partner may be suspended.
- What if I disagree with the outcome of my application?
If the application is unsuccessful, the referral partner will be sent an email notification. Due to the volume of applications, the COSARAF Foundation is unable to enter into correspondence related to rejected applications. We do not offer the option to appeal. All trustee decisions are final.
If you have any further questions or enquiries, please email info@cosaraf.org. Please note, we do not respond to emails from applicants or potential applicants.
Apply for a hardship grant
Testimonial
“Thanks so much for your valuable support with hardship grant for our vulnerable client. [He] will benefit immensely from your support as this will allow him to continue his effort with education.”