Discretionary Assistance Fund
By Helen Richards
Partnership Manager for Wales
Background
 From April 2013 elements of the Social Fund are abolished
 Community Care Grants
 Crisis Loans for Living Expenses
 Replaced by a local fund devolved to Welsh Government
 Themes from consultation events in Wales
 Partnership delivery model
 National qualifying criteria
 Grants not loans
 Goods and services over cash
 Independent appeals
 Links to financial capability
Discretionary Assistance Fund
 Discretionary Assistance Fund - payments or in kind support for two
purposes.
 Enable independent living or continued independent living,
preventing the need for institutional care – Individual Assistance
Payment (IAP)
 Provide assistance in an emergency or when there is an immediate
threat to health or wellbeing – Emergency Assistance Payment
(EAP)
 Payments available to people who do not have alternative means of
paying for what they need and do not need to be paid back. One-off
needs rather than on-going expenses.
 National delivery model
Delivery Team - credentials
 Northgate has 10,000 staff and 48 major offices
 100% of local authorities and police forces in Wales
 Systems in every NHS hospital as national programmes
 Half of all fire brigades and ambulance trusts
 Central Government
 Family Fund is the UKs largest grant making charity and for over 40 years Family
Fund has administered £33m per annum of grant funds for the four governments
 Wrexham County Borough Council is the pilot authority in Wales for Single Fraud
Investigation Service and will be keen to ensure equitable use of the fund for all.
Wrexham is also one of the Universal Credit Processing sites.
How to access DAF
• Free from landline 0800 859 5924
• Charged at local rate 03301 015 000
• Online & downloadable forms for posting
www.moneymadeclearwales.org
Individual Assistance Payment
1.
6. Payment Card or
Authorising Letter sent to
Applicant
The Applicant makes an application
2.
Application arrives at DAF team in Wrexham
3.
Decision is made to Approve or Decline
b. Approved
a.
4.
Declined
Advised by phone, email or letter, signposted to other places for help
5.
4.
Family Fund advised
by Northgate, then
Family Fund advise
the retailer e.g.
Argos, Euronics, Park
Retail
Advised of approval for
Goods or Service (e.g.
Cooker, Fridge, Bed).
Signposted to other
places for help
Emergency Assistance Payment
8.
1.
Applicant goes to Pay Point
outlet (newsagents etc)
shows retailer the code
and cash is given
The Applicant makes an application
7.
2.
Pay Point send barcode or
unique reference number
to applicant mobile
Application arrives at DAF team in Wrexham
6.
3.
Decision is made to Approve or Decline
b. Approved
a.
4.
Family Fund advised by
Northgate, then Family
Fund advise Pay Point
Declined
Advised by phone, email or letter, signposted to other places for help
5.
Applicant advised of
approval for payment.
Signposted to other places
for help
Fulfilment Experience



For more than 13 years Family Fund has used supplier contracts for grant making
programmes
 In 2011 75% of applicants received their grant in the form of goods and services
spending £25m
 Example retailers include Park Retail, Euronics, Argos
Suppliers offer choice for beneficiaries along with trusted brand, excellent service and
good coverage
FFT provides a rebate into the DAF of 3.5% of the value of goods ordered (excluding
cash payments) at the end of each quarter which over a full year could add more
than £250,000 to the fund


Opportunity to expand to additional outlets in Wales
Cash payments through PayPoint or BACS
http://www.money
madeclearwales.org/
discretionaryassistance-fund-forwales
The Public Web Site allows members of the public to make applications from the
Discretionary Assistance Fund. They can;
1. Check for likely Eligibility
2. Make & submit an Application
3. Save a partly completed application
4.Return to a partially completed application
5.
Track the progress of an application
Partners across Wales
• Need to ensure the hardest to reach can get support to apply
• Domestic abuse, care-leavers, those in crisis, someone
experiencing a tragedy, mentally ill.
• Partners can signpost or complete applications with or on
behalf of customers
• The partnership forum will be an on-going mechanism for
feedback & involvement
• Registration is simple & each organisation
given their own unique organisation number
Performance of Quarter 1 & 2
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
2345
4839
Number of
2240
IAP’s awarded
2345
Number of
EAP’s
awarded
Total amount awarded Quarter 1 & 2:
£2.7million*
*Final official accumulative figure is still be approved.
Quarter 1 & 2 continued
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Emergency Assistance Payments are paid within 24 hours
96%
98%
Individual Assistance Payments are paid within 2 weeks
98%
99%
Contacts to DAF by:
Telephone (which is fully bilingual)
Online
Postal contact
Total number of awarded applications is
28,759
597
644
4290
38,470
1466
704
6937
Key Messages






Accessible via online, post, telephone in dual language
Governance through Executive and Operational Boards
Active engagement with partner networks & partnership manager
Regular updates and online seminars
Ongoing programme with all stakeholders
Grant Fund as part of holistic service
Being a partner organisation is a commitment to support the
hardest-to-reach & most vulnerable people, to access the DAF
either through signposting or support.
We are committed to ensuring everyone who needs to apply to
the DAF has the chance to do so.
Thank you
 Thank you for the opportunity to come and discuss the
discretionary assistance fund with your organisation
 Please ask any questions you may have