Flexible Fund
Women’s Aid is pleased to be working with the Home Office, as well as our membership and sector partners to help distribute funding to provide one-off payments to survivors of domestic abuse. This fund is intended to help survivors flee from their abuser, and to increase their stability and independence. It follows on from a successful pilot distributed in May 2023.
From Tuesday 1st October 2024 until 27th February 2025, survivors of domestic abuse who do not have the financial means to leave their abusers, or to remain safely in their home, will be able to apply for a one-off payment of up to £500 for essential items such as groceries, nappies or clothing to help them and their children find safety.
Survivors may also be eligible to apply for a one-off payment of up to £2,500 to help secure a sustainable independent future. For example, enabling them to put down a deposit for rental accommodation.
The fund will be delivered via referrals from a network of eligible frontline services in England and Wales including organisations, helplines and caseworkers who have a specialist understanding of domestic abuse. You’ll find detailed guidance on how to apply and who can make a referral further down this page.
How to apply
If you’re a survivor of domestic abuse and would like to apply to the Home Office’s Flexible Fund, you must be connected with an eligible organisation who can submit an application on your behalf, as survivors cannot apply to the fund directly. Please follow these 3 steps to determine your eligibility and find the right local service:
1. Check your eligibility
Please read through the full eligibility breakdown for each fund here to check if you meet the criteria to apply.
2. Search for an organisation
Member organisations of Women’s Aid, Welsh Women’s Aid, Imkaan, organisations listed on Routes to Support and our delivery partners are all eligible to refer to the fund.
Please search your location using our directory. Our directory will provide you with options of services in your area that can, capacity-depending, apply on your behalf.
3. Make contact
Our directory contains up to date contact details of eligible services across England and Wales. Once you’ve found your local service, simply click on their name and you’ll see their details under ‘ Referral procedure’. Please contact your service to request a referral.
If you have any questions, you can reach out via email to emergencyfund@womensaid.org.uk Please note that we do not accept applications sent via email. All applications must be submitted by eligible referring organisations through the online application form.
Who can make an application?
Only organisations of Women’s Aid, Welsh Women’s Aid, Imkaan, organisations listed on Routes to Support and specialist delivery partners are eligible to make referrals to the fund.
Our delivery partners are:
- Galop – the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity
- Hourglass (Safer Ageing)
- Money Advice Plus
- SignHealth – The Deaf health charity
- Stay Safe East – supporting disabled survivors of abuse
- The Suzy Lamplugh Trust (Advocacy Support fund for services only)
If you’re an eligible referring organisation, we recommend you read the FAQs to help you understand how the fund works. Click on the buttons to find out more.
To access the online application forms please email emergencyfund@womensaid.org.uk. Please note that we will not be able to accept applications sent in by email or post. All applications must come through the online application form.
From Monday 16th September eligible services will also be able to apply for the Advocacy Support fund. Further details will have been shared directly with those services. To find out more about this new stream, please read the FAQ above. If you have any further questions, please email emergencyfund@womensaid.org.uk
