Single Support Grant

Information about the Single Support Grant

A Single Support Grant (SSG) may be considered where you/your family unit are setting up home as part of a planned resettlement into permanent accommodation if you have been homeless or are being released from prison or another institution within four weeks.

You can apply if you have already moved in but there is a one month time limit for doing so. An SSG does not have to be repaid but, due to the limited funds available to us, it can only be awarded to provide assistance where you do not have the means to fund your resettlement yourself or where no other source of funding is available.

A Single Support Grant award must be used within 13 weeks of a successful decision.

Who can apply for Single Support Grants?

You can apply for a support grant if you provide evidence that you:

• are aged 16 or over and
• are in receipt or about to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit, such as income-based jobseeker's allowance or employment support allowance, income support, universal credit or guaranteed pension credit and
• are about to be placed into accommodation within the borough as part of a planned programme of resettlement. This also includes those people who are placed into accommodation within another local authority by Lewisham’s Housing Options Team as a discharge of housing duty.

The award is £250 but if you (or your partner if you have one) has capital, such as savings, of more than £1000 then no award will be made.

You will not be able to apply for another grant if you have already received one in the last twelve months.

If you are applying for a grant to meet a need that is already provided by another service, then you will be expected to apply directly to that service for help.

Who is not able to apply for support from this scheme?

Certain groups of people are excluded from the scheme and cannot make an application. These include:

• people in hospital or care homes, unless they are due to be discharged in the next four weeks
• prisoners who are either being held in prison or are on home leave
• members of religious orders that have all their accommodation and living costs met
• students in full-time education (unless they are receiving qualifying benefits)
• most people who are subject to immigration control
• people who are moving into furnished accommodation.

Some expenses are always excluded from the support grant scheme. These include:

• any expenses outside the UK
• other travel/removal expenses.

Receiving your decision

The timescales for making decisions is nine working days.

If you disagree with our decision

There is no right of appeal against our decision but we will reconsider it if additional information is provided. You should send an email within 30 days of the decision with any additional information in support of your application to singlesupportgrant@lewisham.gov.uk.

How will my grant be paid?

If your application is successful, then you will receive a pre-paid card equal to the value of the award, which can be used at specific high-street stores to purchase the items you need (you will be provided with full written instructions about how to use your card). The card will be issued to the address you have provided on your application form.

When you have received the card, you will need to make two phone calls - one call which will load the amount of the award onto the card, and the second call will activate the card ready for use.

Please note: Before you start to complete an application you must have proof of your current address, benefit claim and offer of resettlement. These pieces of evidence must be uploaded with your application form, we will be unable to process applications made without the evidence requested

If you are completing this form on behalf of someone else, by clicking ‘Make an application’ you are confirming that the person has given you permission to use their information in this way.