Five short conditions.
If they fit, please apply.

We have one of the broadest eligibility frameworks in UK non-commercial lending. If you are unsure whether you qualify, please call us first on 0808 168 8500 — there is no disadvantage to asking.

You qualify if…

·You are aged 18 or over
·You live in the UK — England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
·You have a UK bank account in your own name
·You can show a need for the amount you are requesting
·You are applying for yourself, not on behalf of a business

These are the only universal conditions. Everything else is considered on its merits.

What we cannot fund

·Business expenses, trading capital, or self-employment income smoothing
·Purchase of vehicles, property or assets above £6,000 (case-by-case below this)
·Speculative investment of any kind, including cryptocurrency
·Gambling debts (we will signpost you to GamCare — 0808 8020 133)
·Loans for someone other than yourself
·Bridging finance for businesses in financial distress
·Costs that are someone else's statutory responsibility (e.g. social-housing repairs)

§ I · Amounts

How much, in what form.

Interest-free loan
Up to £50,000, repayable over 6–36 months
Financial support (grant)
Up to £10,000, non-repayable
Combined
A smaller grant plus a longer loan — common in serious cases

§ II · Edge cases

"Does this apply to me?"
Six common situations.

I am an asylum seeker or have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF): You are welcome to apply. We will discuss what evidence we can accept on a case-by-case basis. Many of our most impactful grants go to NRPF households who are barred from mainstream support.
I am a refugee or have humanitarian protection: Yes — you qualify. Refugee status is treated as UK residency for our purposes. We accept Home Office Biometric Residence Permits as proof of address.
I am a British citizen living abroad: Unfortunately not. Our charitable objects require us to support people living in the UK. We may be able to point you to a relevant overseas service.
I am undischarged bankrupt or under an IVA: You can still apply. A debt-relief loan or hardship grant may be possible alongside your insolvency arrangement. We will need consent to liaise with your Insolvency Practitioner.
I am applying on behalf of a parent or relative: We can usually only assess applications where the named applicant is the person who will receive the funds. If you are a carer or kinship support, please call us first — we will work out the right approach.
I am under 18: We are unable to lend to or grant funds to applicants under 18. If you are in this situation, a trusted adult can apply on the household's behalf, or we can signpost you to youth-specific services.

§ III · "UK resident"

What we mean —
in plain terms.

By UK resident we mean anyone who lives in the United Kingdom legally and habitually — your passport does not matter to us. This includes British citizens, EU/EEA citizens with settled or pre-settled status, people with indefinite leave to remain, refugees and those with humanitarian protection, long-term visa holders (work, study, family), and Commonwealth citizens with right of abode.

It excludes people who do not live in the UK at all (including British citizens living abroad), short-term visitors and tourists, and people in the UK without lawful residency status.

The framing is deliberate. Many of the households who reach us most need help — refugees, kinship carers, NHS workers on visas, EU migrants who have lived here for decades — would be excluded by a passport-based eligibility test. Equality Act 2010 considerations also point us toward residency rather than nationality.

Still not sure?

Speak to a caseworker Begin an application

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Five short conditions. If they fit, please apply.

How much, in what form.

"Does this apply to me?" Six common situations.

What we mean — in plain terms.

Still not sure?

Five short conditions. If they fit, please apply.

How much, in what form.

"Does this apply to me?" Six common situations.

What we mean — in plain terms.

Still not sure?

Five short conditions.
If they fit, please apply.

"Does this apply to me?"
Six common situations.

What we mean —
in plain terms.

Five short conditions.
If they fit, please apply.

"Does this apply to me?"
Six common situations.

What we mean —
in plain terms.