Other financial support

In addition to the disability benefits you might be able to claim, there are various grants and concessions that might make living with MS easier.

As is the case with benefits, some other sources of financial help may be means-tested, meaning you are more likely to be eligible if you are on a low income.

However, even if you are not on a low income, there may be some sources of help that are available to everyone with a disability.

Find out more about:

• Community care grants
• The Social Fund
• Free public transport
• Disabled Facilities Grant
• Help with keeping warm in winter
• Prescription charges
• Dealing with debt

Community care grant

If you need financial help to live independently, or to ease exceptional pressure on you and your family, you may be able to get a Community Care Grant. You don't have to pay it back.

Find out more on the Direct Gov website

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The Social Fund

A system of grants, payments and loans for a variety of needs that are difficult to meet from weekly benefits. It could help with costs associated with a new baby, one-off payments for large items, like furnishing a home, or arranging a funeral.

Find out more on the Citizen's Advice Bureau website

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Free public transport

Free off-peak travel on all local buses is available to eligible disabled people anywhere in England - find out more on the Direct Gov website. Similar schemes operate in Scotland and Wales. Application forms are available from local authorities.

For Northern Ireland concessions, contact 0845 600 0049. A Disabled Person’s Railcard entitles you to a third off the cost of most UK train journeys. National Rail can give you more details.

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Disabled Facilities Grant

A Disabled Facilities Grant (this is called the Scheme of Assistance in Scotland)  is a local council grant to help towards the cost of adapting your home to enable you to continue to live there. You might be eligible for a grant if the council agrees that changes are necessary to meet your needs, and that the work is reasonable and practical.

Find out more about grants for home adaptations in our publication

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Help with keeping warm in winter

During a very cold winter, the costs of heating can quickly add up. If you’re receiving certain benefits, you may be eligible for cold weather payments. These are different from winter fuel payments which are paid to people of pensionable age.

To help keep the heat in there are various government schemes to improve heating and energy efficiency. The schemes are:

• Warm Front in England
• Warm Homes in Northern Ireland
• Energy Assistance Package in Scotland 
• NEST in Wales 

The eligibility criteria for the schemes differ between countries. With some schemes you need to be in receipt of certain benefits, whilst others are available to anyone over a certain age. 

Call the Energy Saving Trust from anywhere inthe UK on 0800 512 012 for information about any local schemes. 

You could also contact your energy supplier to ask what financial help they can offer towards insulating your home.

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Prescription charges

Prescriptions are free in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

If you live in England, prescriptions can be expensive. You may save money by buying a prescription pre-payment certificate (PPC) if you will have to pay for more than four items in three months or 14 items in 12 months.  

Find out more on the NHS Choices website

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Dealing with debt

For some people, however much they budget, the change in their circumstances is so great that they cannot continue to pay for the essentials – rent, mortgage, utility bills and so on.

If you are in serious debt, it is essential to seek advice. Direct Gov's debt pages are very useful, including advice on what debts must be prioritized.

The National Debtline provides advice for those in debt.

For further professional advice, you can search for an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) in your telephone book. Their services are often free, or they take a percentage of payment from a product provider (such as a building society which sells you a mortgage).

Your bank or building society may have a financial adviser attached to it, though they may be committed to selling you a product from their own range.

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