Independent Living Fund
The Independent Living Fund offers grants of up to £500 for care leavers (aged 18-25) to access the things they need to live independently, including:
- Purchase of white goods, flooring, laptops/tablets, furniture, utensils, suitcases and other essential household items
- Driving lessons, courses in money management, or other essential life skills
- Access to accredited counselling or other talking therapies
- Minor household or vehicle repairs
Who can the Fund help?
The Fund can offer support to care leavers (aged 18-25) in Norfolk only. The Fund cannot offer support to children in care under the age of 18.
Exclusions:
- Items or activities that are paid for before receiving a grant.
- General subsistence costs including utility bills, council tax or rent.
- Mobile phone contracts, or other ongoing costs that go beyond the life of a grant. Up-front purchase of a mobile phone handset may be considered.
- Vehicles.
- The Fund is not able to provide urgent financial assistance, and cannot consider applications outside of the funding rounds set out below. If urgent assistance is required, please contact the Client Hardship Service (formerly Norfolk Assistance Scheme).
Things to consider:
- A £500 grant can be requested to cover more than one item; if doing this, please prioritise the items. The Fund is consistently oversubscribed meaning requests cannot always be supported in full.
- A £500 grant can be requested towards an item exceeding this value, provided there is a funding commitment towards the balance.
- Grants should start to be used within 4 months of being awarded.
- If a young person has previously received a grant, any future applications should be made 2 years after the previous award. First-time applicants will generally be prioritised.
- Applications can be made to both the Inspiring Opportunities Fund and the Independent Living Fund for the same young person. If demand on funding is high, one application may be prioritised over the other.
Grants for counselling:
If applying for a grant to access counselling, this must be with a provider that appears on either the BACP or UKCP accredited registers. We will ask you for the name of the provider, and which register they appear on, in the application form.
Finding the right provider can be daunting. Both BACP and UKCP have their own ‘Find a therapist’ search engines. There are also several charitable organisations that offer affordable counselling in Norfolk.
If the preferred provider appears on an accredited register that is not the BACP or UKCP, please talk to us before making an application.
How can I apply?
Applications can be made by either a personal advisor/social worker or a Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisation involved in supporting the care leaver.
It is recommended that both applicant and care leaver work through the online application form together, as there is a section for the care leaver to complete.
To apply, click the ‘Apply online’ button below.
When should I apply?
There will be four funding rounds in 2024/25. These align with four fixed decision-making meetings, which involve care-experienced young people. The deadlines for the funding rounds are as follows:
Friday 24th May 2024 (decisions expected second week of June)Friday 16th August 2024 (decisions expected first week of September)Friday 15th November 2024 (decisions expected first week of December)- Friday 14th February 2025 (decisions expected first week of March)
Call for Applications
Open
Maximum Grant
£500
Deadline
14 February 2025 – 5:00pm
Who can apply?
Social workers, personal advisors and VCSE organisations supporting care leavers
Eligible Area
Breckland, Broadland, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, North Norfolk, Norwich, and South Norfolk
Find Out More & Apply
Interested? Talk to Catrin
