If you’ve read through our Points to Note about grant-making, you should be ready to start work on the stages of preparing and submitting your application.
Stage 1 – Preparation
Having first thought carefully about what you need a grant for, you should check that you’re eligible to apply for a grant from us …
- there isn’t another charity more suited to meet your needs (see Notes for Grant Applicants)
- your home address is within our Area of Benefit
- you’ve already applied for all relevant State Benefits.
We strongly recommend that you engage with your ‘care/support worker’ from one of the main caring agencies, who should be able to help you with your application for a grant.
You should talk the matter through with your care/support worker, and ask him/her to write a referral letter to the charity, on behalf of their organisation, which describes and confirms your personal circumstances.
You should prepare copies of quotations or bills for goods or services, together with copies of statements showing any significant debts or savings that are relevant to your application.
Stage 2 – Download and print out the application form
The necessary documents can be printed out after downloading them using the links below. Your care/support worker may already have downloaded them and printed out copies.
Important Note: Do not try to complete the Grant Application Form in your browser or on your smartphone – you will be unable to submit the form this way, and all your typing will be lost.
If you don’t have the use of a computer and printer to print out the form, you should ask your care/support worker to do this for you.
- the Grant Application Form (V10, revised Apr/2026).
- the Notes for Grant Applicants (revised Jan/2026).
Stage 3 – Complete the application form
General points to note
- You must complete a printed copy of the form. The form cannot be submitted on-line.
- Answer Sections 1-7 of the form as fully as you can.
- Your care/support worker should complete Section 8 of the form.
- If a question is not applicable, put ‘N/A’ or ‘None’ – don’t leave it blank.
- Continue on a separate piece of paper if more space is needed.
Section 1 – The applicant
- Provide your current name, address, contact details, marital status, employment status and other information requested.
- If you know that any of this personal information is going to change (or might change) in the near future, then further details should be given on a separate piece of paper – or in the referral letter from your care/support worker.
Section 2 – Other people living in the household
- For each person living in your household:
- state the person’s name, age (if under 18) and relationship to you;
- state whether or not the person is financially dependent on you;
- if not dependent on you, state the amount and nature of the person’s income;
- if dependent on you, state the reason why they are dependent on you (e.g. at school).
Section 3 – Items for which a grant is requested
- If you are requesting goods and/or services:
- State clearly what item(s) are required.
- Identify specific goods/services, and the names of any suppliers involved.
- State whether any goods/services have already been bought or ordered – and, if bought, how they were paid for (e.g. cash/cheque or credit/account).
- Give sizes, dimensions and particulars of items where appropriate – e.g. a standard-size double bed & mattress, a fridge to fit under a standard-height worktop, a carpet for lounge size length x width, a uniform for a specified school).
- If you are seeking help with repayment of unaffordable debts:
- State clearly what help you are seeking – how much money is being requested.
- Identify the specific debt(s) and the name(s) of the creditor(s) involved.
- Give details of how and why the debt was incurred.
- Give details of any attempts you’ve already made to pay off or reduce the debt.
Section 4 – Applications to other agencies or charities
- List all other applications for grants you have made recently, or are in the process of making.
- State clearly if the other applications are for the same item(s) requested, or for different item(s).
- If the other applications are for the same item(s), state clearly if each of your applications is for the full cost of the item(s), or if your applications are for a partial contribution from each organisation.
Section 5 – Savings and debts
- Be sure to include financial details of all savings and debts.
- Do not leave these columns blank – write ‘None’ if applicable.
Section 6 – Household income and outgoings
- It is helpful if figures are given as either weekly or monthly – rather than as a mixture of the two.
- The ‘Income’ columns must include all State Benefits received, plus any other income such as contributions from relatives, lodgers, absent parent etc.
- The ‘Outgoings’ columns must include all household expenditure, including debt repayments (the total weekly/monthly repayments figures from Section 5).
Section 7 – Applicant’s consent and declaration
- You should read the ‘Data Protection and Privacy’ information at the beginning of the form. Further details about this subject are given in the Privacy Notice.
- When you’re satisfied that you’ve answered all the questions on the form as fully as possible, you should sign and date this Section to confirm that:
- you consent to us having your personal information;
- you declare that your answers are complete and accurate.
Section 8 – Statement by the referring agency/person
- Your care/support worker should then:
- provide the details requested, including their name, their role/job title, the agency/organisation they work for, and their contact details at work;
- sign and date this Section to confirm that they know the applicant’s circumstances and that the application is justified on the basis of actual need, hardship or distress;
- confirm that a supporting letter of referral from their agency/organisation has been included with the application.
Stage 4 – Send your application off
Send us a package containing all of the following documents …
- the completed, signed Grant Application form
- the supporting letter from your care/support worker
- copies of any quotations and/or bills
- copies of any statements of relevant accounts
- copies of any extra information to support your application.
Paper documents should be posted to our postal address: TPLC, P.O. Box 2802, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4GE.
Documents which have been scanned or photographed to a good, legible standard may be sent electronically to our email address for all grant-related matters grants@tplc.org.uk.
Please do not send originals of important documents as we are unable to return application papers.
Stage 5 – What happens next
When we have received your application for a grant, we will log it, check it against any previous requests, check the address is in our Area of Benefit, and then assess how it should be processed.
Normally, applications are considered at Trustee meetings which take place approximately every two months. Sometimes, particularly urgent requests can be put on a fast-track process.
If the application details are not complete and clearly stated, we will need to refer back to you or your care/support worker for clarification or explanation – which will delay or prolong the process. Also, if you have submitted an application without a supporting letter of referral from a care/support worker, this may also prolong the consideration of your request.
When we have reached a decision, we will notify you or your care/support worker. If your application has been successful, there may be arrangements to be agreed before goods/services can be ordered and paid for.
Grants are normally paid direct to suppliers, and sometimes to caring agencies which are able to manage money on behalf of their clients.
If the process is taking longer than you expected, and you still haven’t had a decision from us, please be patient – bear in mind that the charity is staffed entirely by volunteers giving of their spare time.
