With the economy the way it is at the moment many of us are having to cut corners and save the pennies. One thing it’s worth checking is if you might be able to benefit from any one of a number of Government grants that are available at the moment.

Government grants are available for many different things from helping you to stay healthy during pregnancy, to helping you with the cost of installing cavity wall insulation. Many of these grants are available to people even if they’re not on benefits too, so don’t think that just because you don’t qualify for benefits these are all unavailable to you, as they may not be. A good site to take a look at to find out what government grants are available is this one.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/AdvancedSearch/Searchresults/index.htm?fullText=grants

This is a link to the governments own website which explains various things from grants to benefits and rights at work. This particular page however gives a list of all the various grants that the government offers so that you can then determine where to look more closely for what might be useful to you.

The grants that are available are quite varied. If you are looking for help with education for school leavers or are an adult returning to education you may be able to get a grant to help you with the costs. Some of these come directly from the government, and some are funded by various charitable trusts. It’s also worth asking your parish council if they offer grants for education at all as some do, and they’re often not well publicised.

A disabled person looking to adapt their home to meet their needs can get help, as can someone who wants to improve the energy efficiency of their home and install cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and loads more. For the latter, there are grants which are available to everyone and can reduce the costs of having this done by up to 70% for those not on benefits, and for those on certain types of benefit, the grant can be for up to 100% of the cost.

If you’re pregnant, you can now get a one off grant of £190 to help you stay healthy during your last weeks of pregnancy. If you’re on a low income or in receipt of certain benefits, you might also qualify for a Sure Start grant as well – this is a one off payment of £500 which is to help you with the costs of a new baby. (If you’ve had your baby in the last 3 months you can still claim this grant).