People with MS may have additional needs as a result of their MS, and may need financial support to meet them.
See Group Handbook D1: Offering MS Support
We help people to access this support in a number of ways.
- Information about MS Society grants
- Support to fill in grant application forms
- Accessing wider financial support
- Financial support – boundaries
- Need support?
Information about MS Society grants
We provide financial grants to people affected by MS for things they feel will make a positive impact on their lives.
If your group handles money and provides services and activities, we expect you to ensure that information about our national grants programme is available to all people affected by MS within your community.
- Find out more about Our national grant funds
Support with MS Society grants
Our Supporter Care Team is available to deal with grant application form requests and basic queries.
Our Grants Team supports groups to give information about our national grant funds and source alternative and additional funding.
- Contact the Supporter Care Team in the first instance for access to both types of support.
Support to fill in grant application forms
People may ask for help to fill in MS Society grant application forms. Only Lead Support Volunteers and Support Volunteers who have completed Support Volunteer Training can offer this level of support.
Handling grant application paperwork
Grant application forms include personal data covered by the Data Protection Act. They must be kept in a locked drawer, box, safe or cupboard. Access to the key or combination lock must be limited only to volunteers in roles that are allowed to use MS Society personal data.
- See Handling data for our personal data storage rules
Accessing wider financial support
Groups that offer MS Support help people affected by MS to access information and services to enable them to make decisions about wider financial matters.
We provide Lead/Support Volunteers with training and ongoing support that enables your MS Support service to:
Ask the right questions to help people affected by MS to establish whether financial support will meet their needs.
Know where people can get local information and support from specialist financial services.
Support people to apply for financial support from local and national grant making organisations.
- Learn about Support Volunteer Training
- Find out how we provide Support for your team
Financial support - boundaries
We don’t expect your MS Support service to provide the following types of financial support, and you must not do so on our behalf:
Completing benefits or health and social care assessment forms on a person’s behalf.
Giving advice about what to include on benefits or health and social care assessment forms.
Making decisions about an MS Society grant application you have helped with.
Need support?
You support people affected by MS, but who supports you?
We do - with practical, emotional and peer support options, access to our specialist signposting database, regular knowledge updates and key MS Support resources.
- Find out how we Support your team
Back to Your MS Support service
