When you’re struggling with kidney disease, we understand that the additional pressures of trying to make ends meet can make life very difficult.
We provide individual and hardship grants to help pay for:
- Domestic bills
- Household items
- Travel expenses
- Higher education / training / qualifications
Who is eligible for Kidney Care UK grants
Our personal grants are normally available to:
- Dialysis patients and families on low income
- Transplant patients and those receiving conservative care, if health and quality of life is being seriously affected by your renal condition
However, these are not the only criteria. If your life has been affected by kidney disease it might still be worth applying. While we can't guarantee every application, we do our best to help where we can.
What we can fund
Financial aid: if you are on a low income we may be able to help with the cost of an outstanding domestic bill such as gas, electricity or water, or with car insurance or heating costs.
Domestic costs: we may be able to help with the purchase of domestic goods like washing machines, cookers, beds and carpets.
Travel costs: we may be able to help with travel costs to your hospital if you have to travel a long way and have no support from your unit. We are unable to help with travel costs for ongoing dialysis.
Further education and training: we may be able to help with a contribution toward the cost of training or other short educational courses that will increase employment opportunities.
Holiday or respite break costs: we give grants to individuals and families towards the cost of a basic holiday in the UK or overseas. Please note we cannot reimburse patients for holidays that have already been paid for.
If you are applying for a grant for a holiday or respite break, please make sure your application is sent to us at least 8 weeks before travel and/or payment is due.
Applying for a Kidney Care UK grant: what you need to know
Our grants are intended to help those on a low income
- with immediate costs
- to make a purchase that improves quality of life
- to help toward a holiday
- to contribute toward an educational or training course leading to employment.
While we can’t guarantee every application, we do our best to help where we can.
It is important to remember though that we cannot reimburse for something already paid for and we do not consider grants towards telephone bills, court fines, home improvements, credit card and loan repayments, medical equipment or council tax payments.
We also do not contribute toward the cost of dialysis either in the UK or abroad or contribute toward travel insurance.
Before applying for a grant, if you have any questions about the process, please don’t hesitate to give our Grants Team a call on 01420 541 424.
Applying for a Kidney Care UK grant
You’ll need to contact your kidney unit social worker or a member of the kidney care team, as all applications for financial aid should come to us on a grant form completed with their input.
However, if no member of staff from your kidney unit is able to help, our Patient Support & Advocacy Officers can be contacted by calling the main Kidney Care UK telephone number: 01420 541 424 or emailing [email protected].
Help with keeping your home warm
If you struggle to keep your home warm, there may be help available.
Many UK utility companies have their own charitable trusts and there are a number of other schemes and benefits you can apply for.