Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF): emergency grants in Wales
This scheme is open.
Wales only.
The Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) is the Welsh Government’s crisis support scheme. Unlike the equivalent schemes in the rest of the UK, it is run centrally rather than by your local council, and it pays two different grants that you do not have to pay back: an Emergency Assistance Payment for an immediate crisis, and an Individual Assistance Payment to help you live independently.
“The Discretionary Assistance Fund provides 2 types of grants that you do not need to pay back. Emergency Assistance Payment (EAP) A grant to help pay for essential costs, such as food, gas, electricity, heating oil or emergency travel. Individual Assistance Payment (IAP) A grant to help you or someone you care for live independently in their home or a property that you or they are moving into.”
Emergency Assistance Payment and Individual Assistance Payment
An Emergency Assistance Payment covers essential costs such as food, gas, electricity, heating oil or emergency travel, for people facing extreme financial hardship, who have lost their job, or who are waiting for a first benefit payment.
“You cannot use it to pay for ongoing bills that you cannot afford to pay.”
An Individual Assistance Payment is different in kind: instead of cash for daily costs, it supplies specific items — a fridge, a washing machine or other white goods, or home furniture such as beds, sofas and chairs — to help you or someone you care for live independently in a home you are in or moving into.
Who can apply
GOV.WALES sets out separate conditions for each payment. For an Emergency Assistance Payment, you must:
- be in extreme financial hardship — for example you have lost your job, applied for benefits and are waiting for your first payment, and have no other means of financial support
- be facing an unexpected crisis that has left you without money for food, gas, electricity or other essential items
- live in Wales and be over 16, with no upper age limit
- have no other money available, such as savings
“To get a grant, you must: be in extreme financial hardship, for example you've lost your job, applied for benefits and waiting for your first payment and have no other means of financial support be experiencing an unexpected crisis has resulted in you not having money to buy food, gas and/or electricity or other essential items be in a crisis situation and in need of immediate financial support live in Wales be over 16 (there is no upper age limit for this grant) have no other money for example savings”
For an Individual Assistance Payment, you must live in Wales, be over 16, have tried all other affordable sources of funding such as a credit union, and not be living in a care home or prison unless you are due to leave within 6 weeks.
“live in Wales be over 16 (there is no upper age limit for this grant) have no access to other money and tried all other affordable sources of funding for example credit union not be living in a care home (unless being discharged in 6 weeks) not be in prison (unless being discharged in 6 weeks) not be a member of a fully maintained religious order”
You must also be getting one of a set list of qualifying benefits, and meet one of several situational tests — for example that you are leaving care or an institution to live independently, staying in the community rather than going into an institution, setting up home after an unsettled way of life, moving quickly because of a relationship breakdown or domestic violence, or caring for someone released from prison or a young offender institution on temporary licence.
“You must be getting one of the following: Income Support income based Jobseekers Allowance income related Employment and Support Allowance Guaranteed Credit element of Pension Credit Universal Credit You must meet one of the following: you are leaving a care home or institution (hospital, prison or foster carer) after 3 months (minimum) to live independently you want to stay living in the community rather than having to go into an institution (hospital or care home) you are setting up home after an unsettled way of life you need to move home quickly due to a relationship breakdown or domestic violence you are going to care for a prisoner or young offender released on a temporary license”
How to apply
You can apply for an Emergency Assistance Payment online, and GOV.WALES also lists post and phone as options through its contact page, or through an approved partner acting on your behalf.
“Use this service to: apply for an Emergency Assistance Payment apply for an Emergency Assistance Payment for heating oil (approved partners only) apply for an Individual Assistance Payment (approved partners only) apply on behalf of someone else (approved partners only)”
In other words, Individual Assistance Payment applications must go through an approved partner rather than directly — the online service takes direct applications only for the Emergency Assistance Payment.
“You cannot apply for a grant if you have: already received a grant in the last 7 days already received 3 grants within the the last 12 rolling month period i.e. not calendar or tax year”
That is a moving 12 months from today, not a calendar or tax year.
“The Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) processing office is closed on bank holidays. You can still make an online application to the DAF, however your application will not be processed until the office re-opens (the next working day).”
How long a decision takes, and what you get
For an Emergency Assistance Payment, GOV.WALES says applications made Monday to Friday take 24 hours to process, and anything submitted after midday on a Friday is not looked at again until the following Monday. If you are approved, you get a PayPoint voucher or a BACS payment covering food, gas, electricity or emergency travel.
An Individual Assistance Payment takes longer to process — 10 working days according to GOV.WALES — because it involves arranging a supplier. White goods such as a fridge or washing machine come from AO Retail Limited, and furniture comes from The Furnishings Service. Once approved, the supplier contacts you directly to arrange delivery.
If your application is declined, GOV.WALES says the letter you receive will explain why, and set out what to do if you disagree — you can ask for the decision to be reviewed.
If you live outside Wales
Both grants require you to live in Wales — GOV.WALES’s eligibility page lists it as a condition for the Emergency Assistance Payment and the Individual Assistance Payment alike. The equivalent schemes elsewhere in the UK have different names, different structures and, in one case, a different kind of award:
- England: the Crisis and Resilience Fund, run by your local council.
- Scotland: the Scottish Welfare Fund, made up of Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants.
- Northern Ireland: Discretionary Support, which — unlike the two Welsh grants — can be an interest-free loan as well as a grant, depending on your circumstances.
Common questions
What are the two Discretionary Assistance Fund grants?
An Emergency Assistance Payment, for an immediate crisis such as no money for food or energy, and an Individual Assistance Payment, which supplies items such as white goods or furniture to help you live independently.
Do I have to pay back a Discretionary Assistance Fund grant?
No. Both the Emergency Assistance Payment and the Individual Assistance Payment are grants — GOV.WALES is explicit that neither needs to be repaid.
How do I apply for the Discretionary Assistance Fund?
You can apply for an Emergency Assistance Payment online, by post or by phone. An Individual Assistance Payment, and heating oil help, must be applied for through an approved partner rather than directly.
How long does a Discretionary Assistance Fund decision take?
An Emergency Assistance Payment is usually processed within 24 hours on a working day. An Individual Assistance Payment takes around 10 working days because a supplier has to be arranged.
How often can I apply to the Discretionary Assistance Fund?
You cannot apply again within 7 days of a previous grant, and you cannot get more than 3 grants in any rolling 12-month period.
Is the Discretionary Assistance Fund available outside Wales?
No. England has the Crisis and Resilience Fund, Scotland has the Scottish Welfare Fund, and Northern Ireland has Discretionary Support.
Related guides
- The Crisis and Resilience Fund: help from your council in England
- Household Support Fund: it has ended — here is what replaced it
- Scottish Welfare Fund: Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants explained
- Discretionary Support in Northern Ireland: grant or interest-free loan?
- Council Tax Reduction: how much you could get off your bill
Information on this page was checked against the official guidance on 25 August 2026.
This is general information, not financial or legal advice. Money Decisions UK is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and does not arrange, recommend or introduce any credit, debt or mortgage product.