Increasing the limit for requests for help
You may have noticed that the monetary limit for requests for help has increased on our website, which means that our local partners can now post requests up to the upper limit of £200 (instead of the previous £150). This is a decision we have recently made, with our Trustees, to make sure that we can continue to help individuals with the items that they need most.
Why?
With the rising cost of living in the UK we have been made aware that it is becoming increasingly difficult for our Advocates, and their recipients, to find larger items within the previous limit of £150.
Therefore, we have made the decision to increase the limit for requests to £200. However, as with our previous limit on requests, we ask our Advocates to only use this upper limit where absolutely necessary for specific larger items, such as cookers, washing machines and fridge freezers.
Although we have increased the upper limit for each request, one household is still able to have up to three requests. This means that we can enable our donors to help individuals and families in a crisis, but highlights that we're not an on-going financial support.
Alongside the guidelines around the upper limit we also have in place other guidelines on some items, and have increased or stipulated these where we feel necessary. We have placed reasonable limits for some specific items, such as £100 for a mobile phone or £75 for a microwave.
How do we keep track of these limits?
With the launch of our new website and back-end systems in June 2022, we were able to integrate some new processes. One of these processes is that each request posted by our local partners gets read by our staff team before it goes live onto the website. This enables us to question and, where needed, amend the amount or request. This process helps us to keep the system fair for every applicant, making sure all our guidelines are adhered to.
As we increase the limit on each request we're very thankful to all our donors, each giving what they can; whether meeting a need in full or giving towards a request. In 2022 the most popular amount donated was £50, which on its own wouldn't be sufficient to meet in full one of the requests on our website. That's what we love about Acts 435 - it is as people donate, alongside others, to the same need, that they can together support an individual in crisis. We are trusting that in spite of the cost of living crisis continuing to impact so many, our donors will still step up with us in generosity to continue to meet the needs of those seeking our help, even as we increase the maximum limit of our requests.
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The average time for a need to be fully funded is currently 11 days
£200 needed for electric cooker
D is a young mum who is registered disabled and has an 18-week-old baby. She has recently been offered and accepted a flat after being on the homeless register for 18 months. She is incredibly grateful to have secured a home for herself and her baby, but currently has no cooker. D receives Universal Credit but due to moving costs is unable to afford to buy a cooker. Please can you help this young family so they can enjoy proper hot meals?
£200 needed for specialist transport costs
This is for a very isolated gentleman who is disabled and largely housebound. His only social interaction is a weekly visit to a local cafe for a pensioner's lunch. However, he is often unable to fund the wheel chair accessible transport he requires to be able to make this outing, which is why he is requesting help towards transport costs to ensure he does not lose this vital social interaction, as we work on a longer-term solution. This funding would cover 6 weeks' worth of journeys.
£165 needed for a dining table and chairs
E and her 7 year old daughter became refugees in January 2025 and have moved between several temporary accommodations since arriving in the UK. They are currently living in temporary housing with very few furnishings. There is no table or chairs in their accommodation, so they eat all their meals on the floor. A dining table and chairs would provide a safe, comfortable place to eat together and give her daughter somewhere suitable to sit, study and complete schoolwork.
£150 needed for a SIM card top-up, food and travel
Mr S is a single client who has been in the UK for over 25 years. He suffers from severe health issues and was referred to us by a hospital. Unfortunately because of his immigration issues he is barred from accessing housing and welfare support, and he has been homeless for a while. This is having a detrimental impact on his health and his ability to engage with his immigration case. Mr S is destitute so this money for food will help to prevent the further deterioration of his health. The travel money is so he can attend appointments with his immigration adviser and at the hospital, and the mobile phone top up is so he can communicate with his GP and the other professionals involved with his care.
£200 needed for a van to move home
E needs help towards moving costs as she has got leukaemia and she is getting worse. Her support system and all of her family and help are in Lewes so she needs a van so she can move closer to them. But she cannot afford this herself. She has found a home swap which is in the process of going through. Please can you help with the moving costs? She will be very grateful.
£200 needed for a new electric cooker
A new electric cooker is needed for a family of parents with three young children, two with additional needs. The family relies on Dad's income and family benefits. The parents love and meet their children’s basic needs, and have accessed appropriate support services to address their financial debt and are working proactively to improve their situation. A replacement cooker would help the family to continue to provide a stable, nurturing and nutritious environment. Can you help this lovely family?
£200 needed for a new gas cooker
Both our client and their partner suffer from mental health issues. Our client has just spent two months in hospital with their mental health. Our client also suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from a previous abusive relationship and Fibromyalgia. This is a low income family on benefits. They have two children who both have special needs. One with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the other with Autism. Their old second hand gas cooker has been condemned by a Gas Safe engineer and needs replacing.
£200 needed for groceries and toiletries
Can you assist this client in dire need? The client is an Afghan refugee and widow with five children at home. Due to an error filing her immigration papers by four days, her benefits have stopped completely since the end of March. The process to re-instate the visa and benefits is slow and in the meantime she has no income and is relying on foodbanks. Can you help this family in need with groceries and toiletries?
£150 needed for a monthly travel pass
J is destitute and has just moved into a short term hosting placement before she moves in Home Office accommodation pending an appeal on her asylum claim. She has recently been released from detention and is traumatised from it, and finds that travelling outside around London really helps with her mental health. She has very little to live on, so if she could buy a travel card, this would mean the little money she has doesn't all go on travel.