Discretionary Assistance Fund for Kinship Carers in Wales

When a child arrives in your home unexpectedly and you need money now for essentials, the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) may help in a qualifying crisis. It is a Welsh Government scheme that replaced parts of the Social Fund, including Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans, and kinship carers can apply if they meet the scheme's criteria.

Two Types of Payment

The DAF offers two separate grants:

Emergency Assistance Payments (EAP) are for immediate needs when you face extreme financial hardship or an unexpected crisis that leaves you without money for essentials such as food, gas, or electricity. A child moving into your care may be relevant if it leaves you in that situation, but does not automatically qualify you. EAPs can be processed within 24 hours on working days.

Individual Assistance Payments (IAP) help with essential household furniture or white goods for you or someone you care for to live independently. You must meet the DAF's qualifying-benefit, no-other-funds, and qualifying-circumstance rules, and apply through an approved partner. Setting up home after an unsettled way of life or moving quickly because of domestic violence or relationship breakdown are examples of qualifying circumstances; a child moving in by itself does not establish eligibility.

Eligibility

You can apply for the DAF if you are aged 16 or over and live in Wales. There is no requirement to have a specific legal order — informal kinship carers, those with a Child Arrangements Order, and special guardians can all apply if they meet the relevant criteria.

For an EAP, you must be in extreme financial hardship or an unexpected crisis, need immediate help, and have no other money to meet the essential cost. For an IAP, you must receive Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit Guarantee Credit, or Universal Credit. You must also have no access to other money, have tried other affordable funding sources, and meet one of the listed circumstances for help with independent living.

You cannot apply if you received a DAF grant in the previous 7 days or have already received three grants in the previous rolling 12-month period.

How to Apply

Apply for an EAP online, by phone, or by post. An IAP application must be made through an approved partner. The process is:

1. Describe your circumstances — explain that a child has moved into your care and you need specific items
2. List what you need (be precise: "a single bed and mattress for a seven-year-old" is better than "furniture")
3. For an IAP, ask an approved partner to apply on your behalf and provide proof that you meet the qualifying rules.

EAP applications made Monday to Friday are processed within 24 hours; IAP applications take 10 working days. An approved EAP is paid by PayPoint voucher or BACS. Approved IAP goods are supplied through the DAF's delivery partners.

DAF vs. Settling-In Grant

The DAF and the local authority settling-in grant serve similar purposes but come from different pots. The DAF is a Welsh Government fund with fixed eligibility rules and caps. The settling-in grant is a discretionary local authority payment under the Special Guardianship (Wales) Regulations 2005, assessed as part of your Section 14F support-needs assessment.

You can apply for both, but each has separate eligibility rules. An approved EAP can help with immediate essentials; an IAP is limited to specified goods and qualifying situations. A local authority settling-in grant may cover costs such as home adaptations or legal fees under that council's policy.

For a full breakdown of every financial support available to kinship carers in Wales — including how the DAF, settling-in grants, and SGO allowances work together — the Kinship Care in Wales guide puts it all in one place.

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