Rural Hardship Fund

Emergency cost-of-living support for rural Derbyshire households

Our Hardship Fund is currently closed due to funding. If you are in need of urgent financial support, please contact Derbyshire County Council to see if you are eligible for support through the discretionary fund – 01629 533399

What we CAN help with

Support for Energy Costs

We can help with energy costs for those people who are NOT ON MAINS GAS and therefore rely on other sources of energy ie. heating oil, LPG, coal or wood.

If the client is on mains gas, but still needs help with energy costs, contact Warmer Derby and Derbyshire* for help. Our fund cannot help with electricity or gas costs.

*  Warmer Derby & Derbyshire – 0800 677 1332 or email wdd@mea.org.uk

Heating Oil

We can help with the cost of up to 500 litres of heating oil. We cannot provide more than ONE delivery of heating oil (500 litres).

Clients will need to budget for any future heating oil orders. We run a Community Oil Buying Scheme to ensure everyone has access to competitively priced heating oil. Anyone can join the scheme for FREE and set up a direct debit to put some money away each month. When oil is needed again, funds will be in place to go towards the total cost. Clients will need to provide a payment method before they can order oil

  • Only one delivery per household and strict eligibility criteria apply.
  • Date and amount of most recent oil delivery and photo evidence of the level of oil in the tank must be provided.

LPG, Coal and Logs

For LPG, Coal or Logs, Rural Action Derbyshire may be able to pay for ONE delivery of LPG, coal or logs subject to availability, cost and eligibility.

We recognise that many people struggle to budget for heating costs, but we are limited to one delivery per client.

Support for essential household costs

We can support individuals facing financial hardship by assisting with essential expenses. For example, when a car, fridge, cooker or washing machine breaks down, many struggle to afford repairs or replacements. Additionally, some may require help acquiring basic furniture or carpets, which are vital for maintaining a comfortable and safe home.

The fund covers essential household expenses only.

  • Kitchen Equipment
  • Furniture (usually second hand)
  • Flooring
  • Repairs
  • Digital device purchase (refurbished) or repair
  • Transport cost
  • Occasional emergency cash payments in line with Derbyshire Discretionary Fund Emergency Cash Payment (£65 plus £15 for a partner and any dependent children).
  • Other essential costs that do not include help with bills, debt or general energy costs except those listed below

When completing the application form for household items please be specific about what goods/services are required (including cost) ranked by the most important or urgent need. In the event we are unable to help with all items required it is helpful to understand what it is the client feels is the most important.

There is a cap to the level of support available so we may not be able to cover the full cost of what is requested. Please contact us if you are unsure of your client’s eligibility or whether the Rural Hardship Fund can fully meet your client’s needs.

Eligibility

Applicants must be over 18 years and living or working in a rural area within the county of Derbyshire (excluding Derby City and ChesterfieldΔ).

Δ  We understand that some parts of Chesterfield and Derby can be more rural, so if you are not sure if your client is eligible, please contact us.

Applicants must be in severe financial hardship.

And/or applicants may be:

  • In financial difficulties despite having already accessed government support
  • Ineligible for government support, including benefits and credits
  • Waiting for benefit checks and payments to be processed and paid
  • In severe emotional distress or poor mental health (anxious, lonely, depressed)

Applications should clearly outline the applicant’s current situation and particular needs, and how the grant will help.

  1. All grants must be used for the purpose agreed in the application.
  2. The referrer must confirm they have seen proof of address and identification.
  3. The referrer must confirm they have seen evidence of need such as a bank statement or online banking screen.  (RAD does not need to see this evidence itself).
  4. The referrer must confirm that the applicant has given their consent under the terms of the privacy notice set out below.
  5. The referrer must confirm that the applicant has been (or will be) provided with support or referred for support with benefit checks, debt and money advice and encouraged to take steps to improve their situation.  It is important that anyone who is referred to our Rural Hardship Fund receives information, advice and guidance to improve their situation as much as possible.
  6. Each application is assessed on its own merit. Application does not guarantee success.
  7. If the application is approved, the beneficiary and referrer must provide a follow-up ‘impact statement’ to Rural Action Derbyshire that clearly explains the benefit the support has provided.
  8. RAD will review the applications in a timely manner, but please consider that we are a small team of mostly part-time staff. If the referral is URGENT please contact us by phone (01629 592970) or email (info@ruralactionderbyshire.org.uk) to highlight the urgent nature of the application and we will do our best to act quickly, within our procedures.
  9. All applications need to be approved by two senior managers at Rural Action Derbyshire.
  10. RAD reserve the right to withhold payment if circumstances change

Individuals cannot self-refer; they must be referred by a recognised support agency

If you have any questions, please contact us on 01629 592970 or info@ruralactionderbyshire.org.uk. We will respond as quickly as we can.

Can you help?

If you would like to support the Rural Hardship Fund, please make a donation