Who can we help?

This category of grant provides a twice yearly payment to ladies who meet the following criteria:

  • Ladies must live alone (widowed, divorced, separated or single)
  • Ladies must be in receipt of State Pension and/or Pension Credit
  • Ladies must have lived in a West Midlands county and no more than 60 miles from Birmingham Town Hall for at least the last five years
  • Ladies’ income must be less than £240 per week (see below for our definition of income)
  • Ladies’ savings must be less than £10,000 (current account balances must be included with any other savings, but the first £1,000 of the lady's main current account may be disregarded)
  • Ladies must have a bank, building society or post office account in their sole name which can accept BACs payments
  • All the above are subject to review at each Trustees' Meeting

What is counted as a lady's income? 

A lady's total weekly income must be less than £240 for her to be eligible for a twice yearly grant.

Income includes all:

  • Pensions
  • Earnings
  • Disability payments e.g. attendance allowance, disability living allowance, personal independence payments, motability car equivalent
  • Bereavement allowance

Income does not include:

  • Housing benefit and other financial support specifically for housing costs
  • Council tax reduction
  • Winter fuel and cold weather payments
  • The warm home discount scheme
  • One-off or time-limited support related to the current cost of living and energy crises e.g. the energy bills support scheme, cost of living payments and the household support fund

Who can make a twice yearly grant application? 

Grant applications can be made in one of two ways:

  • Organisations can make online grant applications on behalf of ladies
  • Individual ladies can contact the Charity directly and we will usually match them with a referring organisation (or occasionally process the grant directly)

How to apply for a twice yearly grant

New applications for the Spring distribution should be received no later than 15 March and for the Autumn, no later than 15 September.

Organisations making online grant applications on behalf of ladies

  • You will need to register your organisation and receive an Applicant ID and Registered Organisation Name before you are able to submit applications
  • Please read these guidelines, the additional guidance on supporting evidence and the online Privacy Notice in full and provide the Privacy Notice to the applicant before proceeding to make an application
  • You will need the applicant’s explicit consent to apply for a grant on their behalf. Please ensure that you complete the box on the online application form confirming explicit consent
  • Applications should be completed in full
  • Incomplete applications can be saved and re-visited prior to submission
  • Once you have submitted an application you will receive an email notifying you that your application has been received. Your application will be allocated a unique application number, please quote this number when contacting us
  • Applications may take 2–4 weeks to be assessed and are assessed in date order
  • Any follow up queries will be emailed to you and we may request supplementary documents to support the application
  • If an applicant is a relative or close friend of a member of the referring organisation, the application must be completed by an independent member of the referring organisation. The lady's information must be verified on the same basis as for all other applicants

Individual ladies

  • Please contact the Charity at enquiries@barondavenportscharity.org or telephone the office on 0121 236 8004 to check your eligibility
  • If you are eligible and we are unable to match you with a local referring organisation, a paper form will be issued to you
  • Please read the Privacy Notice at the end of the application form in full before completing and returning your application form
  • Applications should be completed in full and signed by you
  • Please return your signed and completed application form to the Charity at the address below, along with any documentation requested
  • You will be notified of any follow up queries and we may request supplementary documents to support your application

How is the award received?

  • Grants are paid directly into ladies’ bank accounts in late May/early June and in late November each year
  • Changes to contact or bank details should be notified in writing to the Charity as soon as possible

How to re-apply for an award

Re-applications for the Spring distribution should be received no later than 28 February and for the Autumn, no later than 31 August.

Organisations making online grant re-applications on behalf of ladies

  • You will be sent a list of ladies eligible to re-apply. This list will be sent in late May/early June and in late November each year.
  • Please read these guidelines, the additional guidance on supporting evidence and the online Privacy Notice in full and provide the Privacy Notice to the applicant before proceeding to make an application.
  • You will need the applicant’s full explicit consent to re-apply for a grant on their behalf. Please ensure that you complete the box on the online re-application form confirming explicit consent.
  • Re-applications should be completed in full.
  • Incomplete applications can be saved and re-visited prior to submission. 
  • Once you have submitted a re-application you will receive an email notifying you that your re-application has been received. Your re-application will be allocated a unique application number, please quote this number when contacting us.
  • Re-applications may take 2–4 weeks to be assessed and are assessed in date order.
  • Any follow up queries will be emailed to you and we may request supplementary documents to support the re-application.

Individual ladies re-applying directly

  • A re-application form will be sent to you by post twice yearly in late May/early June and in late November. At certain times, the Charity may decide to conduct re-applications by telephone but you will be notified in writing in advance.
  • Please read the Privacy Notice at the end of the re-application form in full before completing and returning your application form.
  • Re-application forms should be completed in full and signed by you.
  • Please return your signed and completed re-application form to the Charity at the address below, along with any documentation requested.
  • You will be notified of any follow up queries and we may request supplementary documents to support your re-application.

Is there a right to appeal?

There is no right of appeal. The decision whether to award a grant is solely at the discretion of the Trustees of the Charity. If you wish us to review a decision based on additional information that you wish to be considered, please provide this in writing to the Charity Administrator by email or post.