The Mayor's Trust Fund
About the Mayor’s Trust Fund
The Mayor’s Trust Fund is a hardship fund designed to support residents of Reigate & Banstead who are experiencing particularly acute financial hardship.
The Fund can support one off costs that are putting extra financial pressure on a resident.
During 2023/24, the Trustees of the Mayor’s Trust Fund will be distributing some of the government’s Household Support Fund.
Any application eligible for support from the Household Support Fund will usually have a maximum award of £750, though in exceptional circumstances the maximum award can be up to £1500. (Examples of items usually eligible for support from the Household Support Fund are kitchen appliances; carpeting; essential furniture).
Any application not eligible for Household Support Fund support but eligible for the Mayor’s Trust Fund’s normal funds will usually have a maximum award of £500, and in exceptional circumstances, £750.
If you need further guidance on these maximum awards please contact mayorstrustfund@reigate-banstead.gov.uk.
Who Can Apply?
Applications can only be made on behalf of a resident of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s area by council officers or a trusted 3rd Party (e.g. from an employee of a known local charity or a Housing Association).
The Referrer must have a good understanding of the circumstances of the resident.
If the resident can answer ‘yes’ to most of the questions below, their application is more likely to be successful.
- Will the support make a difference to the family/individual?
- Will the resident run out of funds to meet an immediate need? This means there is not enough money for today or there will not be enough left within the week.
- Has the resident approached other household members/family to see if they can help?
- Does the resident already receive other financial support and exhausted these avenues? E.g.Universal Credit (and an application for advance payment of universal credit has been made), council tax reductions, income support, jobseekers allowance, pension credit, mortgage holidays, etc.
- Is the resident being affected by exceptional circumstances that could be putting extra financial pressure on them?
How Do I Apply?
To support your application you will need to upload:
- Bank Statements (screenshots are acceptable)
- Income details (including any Benefits)
- Quotations or estimates (if applicable) including any delivery, installation and removal costs
You will need this information before opening the application form as it will time out if left unattended for 30 minutes.
Decision
The Trust Fund’s Trustees will consider each application against the Household Support Fund’s and the Mayor’s Trust Fund’s criteria.
We aim to make decisions as quickly as possible, usually within five working days of receipt of an application.
To speed up the decision process, the form should include as much information as possible and show that the resident has tried other sources of funding or help (Affordable furnishing; Help with Cost of Living)
Please note all information remains confidential as per our Privacy Notice.
Fraud Prevention
Completing the application form requires the Proposer to have agreement in writing from the Nominee that the Nominee has read and agrees the following statements:
Statement 1
The Nominee has given their consent for Benefit Services to disclose Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support to the Trustees of the Mayor’s Fund for the purpose of verifying this application.
Statement 2
The Nominee has been informed that any person(s) that dishonestly provides false or misleading information in communication with the Council, whether written or verbal, will be committing a criminal offence contrary to the Fraud Act 2006 and may be subject to a criminal investigation and possible criminal proceedings.
Mayor's Trust Fund application form