Kidney Care UK offers patient grants to people with advanced kidney disease on lower incomes.
We can help you with essential household purchases, like a piece of furniture or a kitchen appliance, or help you buy something that could really make a difference to your quality of life – like a comfortable chair that means you are able to receive dialysis at home.
We can help you invest in your future by contributing to funding for training or a course. We can also help with the costs of a much-needed holiday or respite break.
There are some things we can't fund. You can see the full list of what we can and can't support below.
Am I eligible for a Kidney Care UK grant?
Kidney Care UK provides grants to people severely impacted by kidney disease, to the extent that it seriously affects their health and wellbeing, and who are living on a low income.
To be offered a grant, you need to:
- Have an eGFR or less than 29% (CKD stage 4 or 5) or have received a transplant. This includes people on dialysis or receiving conservative care.
- Be a legal resident of the UK.
- Be over the age of 18, or have an adult or guardian apply on your behalf.
- Have a UK bank account. You will be asked to provide a summary of your household finances.
- Provide a letter of support written by a healthcare professional referrer. This could be your renal social worker, consultant, or a member of your kidney team.
If you do not have a renal social worker or other healthcare professional referrer, please contact us.
What if I don't meet the eligibility criteria?
Kidney Care UK's free, confidential Support Line is open 9-5, Monday to Friday. We are unable to offer financial support to people who do not meet the eligibility criteria, but we offer information, advice and support to anyone affected by kidney disease. Please don't hesitate to get in touch – we’re here to help.
Call free on 0808 801 00 00 or email [email protected]
What can we help you with?
We can help you to buy things that make managing your condition easier and help you meet your daily needs. We can also help you invest in your future or a much-needed break. Here's a list of what we commonly support with a grant:
- Essential household items, such as a piece of furniture or kitchen appliance
- Purchases that could help you start home dialysis, like buying practical storage or a comfortable chair
- Mobility aids
- Travel costs to a specialist hospital appointment outside of your usual area
- Helping you fund a much-needed holiday or respite break
- Contributing towards training, education or equipment to help your wellbeing or get employed.
If you find yourself struggling with everyday living costs, we may be able to offer a one-time grant to support you with the cost of food, energy bills or clothing.
You can find lots of information about coping with cost of living pressures on our Cost of living online information hub.
What don't we fund?
Kidney Care UK is committed to helping patients meet their needs using the money we receive from our supporters and fundraisers. We are unable to fund certain things with our grants, such as:
- We can't fund payments towards bills, such as water and phone bills. We work with utility companies across the UK to provide extra support for people with kidney disease. Find out what support may be available from your local utilities provider
- We can't fund home improvements and building work
- We can't fund medical equipment
- We can't fund payments towards council tax payments, fines, credit card or loan repayments.
- We can't contribute to funding something which involves ongoing financial commitments
- We can't fund buying a car
- We can't fund the cost of travel insurance or dialysis on holiday. We have plenty of advice to help you organise your holiday and get insured
When fully completed, please send us the form and supporting documentation by email ([email protected]) or post to: Kidney Care UK 3 The Windmills, St Mary’s Close, Alton,GU34 1EF.
We can't guarantee that every application for financial support will be successful, but we will always try our best to support you.
Kidney Care UK patient grants frequently asked questions
Our aim to help as many people who need support as possible. We ask for a summary of your household finances because we use income and savings thresholds to help determine who is most in need.
However, we consider each application on its own merits. In section F on the application form you have the chance to explain why the grant is needed and how it will make a difference. Please be as detailed and honest as you can to help us really understand your individual needs.
Generally, we do not award more than one grant a year per individual. We recognise circumstances can change and you can apply to our grant scheme at times of need. We will take into account your previous awards and the length of time between awards when deciding on any subsequent applications, so please be honest and clear about your needs.
We are only able to contribute towards reasonably-priced items, and our contribution should be enough to either purchase the items or services, or make a significant contribution to the cost.
We pay the supplier of the items or services directly. Personal payments are only provided in exceptional circumstances. For more information, please contact us.
We cannot reimburse you for something you have already purchased.
No. We offer a specific range of items from ao.com you will be able to choose from.
Our holiday vouchers must be used with our travel partners at Inspire Travel, an ABTA/ATOL bonded travel agent able to book with a wide variety of different holiday providers.
How is Kidney Care UK funded?
Kidney Care UK are a charity. That means we rely on the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of our fundraisers to provide our services, including the financial support we offer to people with kidney disease.
We don't receive money from the government or the NHS. We want to make sure our support makes a real difference to the lives of people with kidney disease. If we aren't able to give you a grant or the full amount asked for, we will explain why and try to direct you to other sources of support, including our free Support Line.
Find out more about Kidney Care UK and our mission.
How can I say thank you?
People we have supported financially often ask how they can thank Kidney Care UK or support our work.
Some people support us by helping us raise money. You can also leave us a gift in your Will. If you are interested in volunteering for us, we would love to hear from you at [email protected].
We love to hear that our support has made a difference. By sharing your story, you help us show supporters and donors that their contribution can make a real and lasting difference to people's lives.
If you have received financial support from Kidney Care UK and feel comfortable sharing how it has impacted your life (ideally with some photos!) please email [email protected] or write to us at Kidney Care UK, 3-4 The Windmills, St. Mary’s Close, Alton, GU34 1EF. Thank you!