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Financial Grants

GroceryAid is a charity that can provide financial grants to people who work or have worked in the grocery industry; these grants do not have to be paid back.  The grocery industry includes people working for:

• a supermarket
• a convenience or independent retailer, including petrol forecourts (selling a range of groceries)
• a food or drink wholesaler
• a manufacturer
• a service provider, whose main customers are the grocery trade

Crisis Grants

These are designed to help give breathing space to those who are experiencing financial difficulties because of an emergency or an unexpected reduction in household income. Or those who have taken debt advice and have priority debt arrears they are unable to pay. Priority debt considered includes rent or council tax arrears.

What can we help with?

If there has been an unexpected change to your circumstances which has led to a reduction in your income leaving you unable to manage your living expenses, for example:

• If you need financial help to leave an abusive relationship or starting again after a relationship breakdown.
• Financial difficulty directly relating to a loss of income due to Covid-19.
• Support with financial needs directly relating to the Ukrainian crisis.
• If you and/or your partner/spouse are suffering a period of ill-health leading to a reduction in income.
• If your household is struggling financially with caring for someone with a disability or long-term health condition.
• Home repairs, adaptations and improvements to help make life easier for people living with a disability or long-term health condition.

Hardship grants

These grants open at specific times of the year, subject to funding to help low-income households to with specific costs like School Essential items and Winter Heating costs. Applications close when the maximum number of grants payable has been reached, usually within a week. We are unable to accept requests for help with general hardship, school uniform or help with general cost of living increases outside of these grant programmes.

To find out about future hardship grant programmes please follow us on social media or register for our Newsletter

Who can apply for a Financial Grant

• You are currently working in the grocery industry and can evidence the last six months employment with the same company.
• You are no longer working in the grocery industry, but previously worked in it for five years or more (the time worked doesn’t have to be continuous and can be with multiple companies). For people no longer employed in the grocery industry we can only consider one financial grant.
• Income and expenditure meets GroceryAid’s criteria for financial hardship. This is based on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Minimum Income Standards. If you would like to do a quick check to see if you may be eligible for a financial grant please click here.
  Please be aware that the calculator is a guide only and not a guarantee that you will receive a grant.
• You will need to provide statements for all current accounts, savings and investments for all household accounts. Total available balances need to be below £4,000 during the 90 days before application.
• You are no longer working in the grocery industry, but previously worked in it for five years or more (the time worked doesn’t have to be continuous and can be with multiple companies).

If you have any questions about applying for a crisis grant and whether you might meet the criteria, please contact the Welfare Team on applications@groceryaid.org.uk or call 01252 875 925 option 1 before applying.