A campaign has been launched to help tackle fuel poverty and the cost of living crisis in Scotland.  The GIVE400.scot initiative encourages individuals to donate their £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme payment to charities or good causes of their choice or via Corra’s Household Hardship Fund.

The Household Hardship Fund give grants to local charities and community groups across Scotland who then pass the funding on directly to families and individuals on low income, with cash or vouchers to help cover costs such as food, fuel, household items, and clothing. We know the funding makes an immediate and vital difference, helping people experiencing extreme poverty cope this winter.

What happens to my GIVE400.scot donation?

The Household Hardship Fund* first opened in spring 2022 and was re-launched in November 2022 to provide small grants to charities and community groups across Scotland who can pass the funding on directly to families and individuals on low income, with cash or vouchers to help cover costs such as food, fuel, household items, and clothing.

The Household Hardship Fund so far has reached across Scotland with 87 grants made that enabled community groups to provide direct support to nearly 7,000 people.

Donations made are added to the overall budget for the Household Hardship Fund. Charities and community groups are invited to apply through a simple online application form. For more information, see Eligibility to Household Hardship Fund.

Received applications are reviewed by Corra’s Grants team, if successful a grant is sent directly to the community group. The whole process from application to payment takes less than four weeks. Most applications to the Household Hardship Fund are successful (93%).  A small number of applications do not meet the criteria.

Charities and community groups are asked to tell us about the difference this money has made. Funding has reached into every local authority in Scotland with charities and community groups supporting families, older people, people with life-long conditions. Cash and vouchers have been given to nearly 7,000 people helping with food, utilities/fuel, toiletries and other essential items.

What happens when I tick GiftAid?

If you have ticked GiftAid, Corra will be able to claim 25% on top of your donation (if donated from a personal account) from HMRC at no extra cost to you. The funds received from GiftAid will be used to support the delivery costs of the Household Hardship fund. This includes the support costs of charities and local community groups (e.g. monies to keep their premises open for any additional help families and individuals might need) and administrative costs of distributing the funds by Corra.

Thank you to everyone who has been able to give to a charity or good cause of their choice. As a result of the GIVE400.scot campaign, over £30,000 (by 16 January 2023) has been donated for distribution through the Household Hardship Fund.

How to donate?

You can donate directly here.

If you are a business and would like to make a donation to the Household Hardship Fund, please email finance@corra.scot.

Thank you for your support. The Household Hardship Fund will help support charities and community groups across Scotland deliver funding directly to people on low income. Sign up here to receive an update on how the funds have been spent.

*The Household Hardship Fund was set-up using investment from The Robertson Trust (spring 2022) and The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland (November 2022). It was preceded by The Winter Support Fund (Nov 2021/Mar 2022) which was administered on behalf of the Scottish Government.