We offer a variety of support grants aimed at enriching the lives of the EB community. We will respond to all applications for a wide range of items but, as we are currently reviewing our grants policy, some grants may be temporarily on hold or limited. Please talk to your Community Support Manager or email us to check.

To apply for a DEBRA support grant you must be a DEBRA Member – membership is free and can be completed at the same time as your grant application. DEBRA Members of all ages living with any type of EB (including close family members or carers) are welcome to apply.

Grant applications will be assessed on a case by case basis and need to be supported by a recommendation from a healthcare professional or a member of our Community Support Team. If you have any questions, please see our Support Grants - FAQs for an overview or contact your Community Support Manager.

Application form - digital copy (Word)

Application form - printer-friendly copy (PDF)

  

Support grant options

We have various grants on offer to accommodate the most likely reasons people will need support. For any other grant requests not listed below, please complete and submit the support grant form. The grants team will review your request and contact you in due course.

1. Emergency funding and essential requirements
2. Hospital in-patient nightly allowance
3. Attendance at DEBRA activities and events
4. Special DEBRA Holiday Home grant

 

1. Emergency funding and essential requirements

The purpose of this grant is to help DEBRA Members in urgent situations or when they are unable to purchase every day essentials to manage EB. 

Examples of how this grant can help:

• to relieve physical and psychological stress
• to increase independence and ability to function day to day
• where financial hardship prevents the purchasing of essential equipment
• be safe and receive essential comfort

 

2. Hospital in-patient nightly allowance

The purpose of this grant is to help DEBRA Members with some of the daily costs incurred whilst in hospital by contributing towards the price of drinks, newspapers, magazines etc.

Valid for:

• Hospital stays of 2-14 nights.
• Stays relating to EB in all UK hospitals. We may liaise with EB clinical teams to verify admissions and details.

Nightly expense:

• £5 per patient per night for a 2-5 night stay. £25 for a week. £50 for two weeks.

Maximum allowance:

• Up to £50 per patient per stay. Longer stays and exceptional circumstances to be discussed with CST.

How to arrange payment:

• Patient or EB Clinical Nurse Specialist (in consultation with the patient) should email [email protected] to advise details of the in-patient as soon as they are known in advance of their admission with the following details: patient name, membership number, dates, duration (if known), name of hospital and consultant/nurse specialist name. The email will be passed on to appropriate Community Support Manager. The patient will then be contacted by a member of the DEBRA team to confirm payment details.

How allowance is paid to patient:

• The grant for the nightly allowance will be paid at the end of the admission by cheque or BACS transfer. Anyone with an urgent reason to receive the grant sooner should contact their Community Support Manager. Requests for cash grants are not accepted.

Other useful information:

• The payments from DEBRA do not need to be declared but anyone over 18 years old in receipt of Universal Credit should be notifying the DWP if they are admitted to hospital for over 28 days as they will no longer be entitled to the care element.

 

3. Attendance at DEBRA activities and events

The purpose of this grant is to help DEBRA Members to:

• engage in, support and enjoy DEBRA events and activities
• attend events in the role of a special guest supporting fundraising and raising awareness of EB and DEBRA

 

4. Special DEBRA Holiday Home grant

• The purpose of this grant is to help decrease the cost of staying in a DEBRA Holiday Home for those on a low income or experiencing difficult circumstances. We may ask about your financial situation as part of the decision-making process; please talk to your Community Support Manager for more information or if you are uncertain if you might be eligible.

 

Available funding and grant approval

All categories of community support grants are funded through charitable giving. The amount available for support grants may vary each year. With the budget in mind, an assessment of priority will be undertaken by the DEBRA Community Support Team and the Trustee Board.

 

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