Applications are now closed. After reaching the allocated number of available grants, the Winter Fuel Grant application process is now closed. 

If you applied and had a Unique Identifying Number issued, rest assured that our team is working hard to process your application. 

If you need urgent assistance or if your family is in need of support, please call our 24-hour helpline on 0800 188 4444. A member of the team will then be in touch to discuss your specific support needs. 

Applications are now closed. After reaching the allocated number of available grants, the Winter Fuel Grant application process is now closed. 

If you applied and had a Unique Identifying Number issued, rest assured that our team is working hard to process your application. 

If you need urgent assistance or if your family is in need of support, please call our 24-hour helpline on 0800 188 4444. A member of the team will then be in touch to discuss your specific support needs. 

Waiting to hear about your application?

Response Timeline

We aim to respond as quickly as possible. If you’ve received your UIN, your application is safely with us. Please wait until April before checking your status.

Additional information

If we require any additional information from you, please respond as soon as possible. This helps us to process your application. If we haven’t heard from you after 4 weeks, we will cancel your application.

Checking your email

RABI will contact you by email, so please make sure you check your inbox, junk or spam inboxes too. If you find our emails there, we suggest marking them as ‘not spam’.

Staying connected

If you do not have an email address, or we haven’t heard back from you by email on an important matter relating to your application, we will call the telephone number(s) provided in your application.

Waiting to hear about your application?

Response Timeline

We aim to respond as quickly as possible. If you’ve received your UIN, your application is safely with us. Please wait until April before checking your status.

Additional information

If we require any additional information from you, please respond as soon as possible. This helps us to process your application. If we haven’t heard from you after 4 weeks, we will cancel your application.

Checking your email

RABI will contact you by email, so please make sure you check your inbox, junk or spam inboxes too. If you find our emails there, we suggest marking them as ‘not spam’.

Staying connected

If you do not have an email address, or we haven’t heard back from you by email on an important matter relating to your application, we will call the telephone number(s) provided in your application.

Terms and Conditions

Click each heading to read how to apply and qualify for the Winter Grant (WG) 2026. Please review all sections carefully to check your eligibility.

This is a capped campaign and once all the grants have been allocated RABI will close the application portal. The grant offer is £400 per household.

As this grant is available working farming people, we ask questions to ensure the grant goes to households in need that meet our definition of farming people.

The main areas of consideration are as follows:

1. You or your partner must currently live and farm, in England, Wales or NI.

2. You have less than £500 disposable income per calendar month after critical living expenses, or, you are in receipt of state benefits that indicate a low-income household.

a. Typical critical living expenses are Rent/Mortgage, Council Tax, Water Rates, Food, Utilities, Insurance, Childcare, Travel Expenses (according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation).

3. Successful applicants are not required to provide evidence of how funds are spent.

4. Applicants must be able to provide the relevant personal banking details for WG 2026 payment. Please note the account must be in the applicant’s name either singularly or as a joint personal account. Business accounts will not be accepted.

5. If you request additional support via the application, RABI will contact you using the details you provide on the form.

6. If applicants agree to hear from RABI for a post campaign review, we may be in contact to either;

a. enable RABI to carry out a post campaign review,

b. share feedback about the impact of the WG 2026,

c. allow us to discuss additional support services that you may be entitled to from RABI.

Applications will be reviewed against the following:

1. All mandatory fields are completed on the application form.

2. The eligibility criteria are met.

3. The truth declaration is completed.

4. The T&Cs are agreed to.

All completed applications will be reviewed against the above criteria

1. All completed applications will receive an email to confirm we have received your application. This email will contain your unique identifying number (UIN). If you have not received it, check your spam/junk folder regularly. We recommend marking our emails as ‘Not spam’ if you find any there.

2. A member of the RABI team will be in contact with you to let you know if your application has been successful. We aim to contact you via email by April. Please avoid sending follow-up emails, as this will slow down the process. If we need more information, we’ll contact you directly.

3. If your application is approved, RABI will aim to make payment within 4 weeks of approving your application.

4. If your application does not meet RABI’s eligibility requirements, you will be advised via email that your request has been declined.

5. RABI reserves the right to request additional supporting information where required.

6. If you do not have an email address, RABI will contact you by telephone.

7. If the RABI assessment team does not reach agreement on an application, RABI’s Director of Services reserves the right to make the final decision.

8. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your application you can lodge a complaint which will be dealt with in accordance with RABI’s complaint policy.

By submitting a completed application form, either online or over the phone, you agree for your personal details to be processed by RABI in accordance with our privacy and cookie policy.

Frequently Asked Questions 

£400 broadly equates to common household costs that many families are currently struggling to meet. For example, £400 is roughly equivalent to:

  • A half-tank of heating oil for a rural home.
  • A month of household food essentials for a family of four.
  • A month of essential travel costs, such as fuel for school runs or accessing rural services.

The intention is to offer practical, flexible help that farming families can use where the pressure is greatest.

There are 2,000 grants available. This is a capped offer and once all the grants have been awarded, we will be closing the online application portal.

The grant is available to families whose main source of employment comes from farming including farm workers.

As this grant is available to working farming people, you will be asked to answer a set of questions, during the online application process, to ensure the grant goes to households in need that meet our definition of farming people. The areas you will be evaluated against are as follows:

  • Must currently live and work in farming, in England Wales or NI.
  • Financial criteria i.e., less than £500 disposable income pcm after critical living expenses OR in receipt of statutory benefits that indicate a low-income household. Both criteria are indicative of a low-income or a household in ‘financial crisis.’
  • Typical critical living expenses, as defined by Joseph Rowntree Calculator, are Rent/Mortgage, Council Tax, Water Rates, Food, Utilities, Insurance, Child Care, Travel Expenses

Unfortunately, only those currently living in AND farming in England, Wales or Northern Ireland are eligible to apply for the grant.

If you are in need of advice and support, please call our 24hr helpline on 0800 188 4444 and a member of the team will assist you with you enquiry.

You will receive an acknowledgement email containing a unique identifying number (UIN) and details of the next step in the process when you submit your initial application on the website. Please check your spam and junk folders, if this has not been delivered to your inbox within four (4) hours.

The quickest way to apply is through our website, but if you are unable to apply in this way, please contact our helpline on 0800 188 4444 and a member of the team will assist you with making an application.

Please look at the video on our website this shows you how to navigate through the process. If your bank details are not accepted by OneID then you can apply by calling our 24hr helpline instead: 0800 188 4444.

Your application is likely to be processed quicker if you can make an application via our website, but if you have difficulty doing this a member of the team can assist you, please call our 24hr helpline 0800 188 4444 to complete an application.

You will receive an application confirmation email containing your unique identifying number (UIN). A member of the RABI team will be in contact with you to let you know if your application has been successful by April.

If your application does not meet our eligibility requirements you will be advised, by email, your request has been declined.

If you have been issued with a unique identifying number (UIN), prior to the campaign closing date, your application will be processed. We ask you to wait until April to contact us before enquiring about your application status.

When the first phase of applications closes, you will see a message advising that the campaign is closed for now, and a countdown for when the next phase will open. When the second phase of applications closes, you will see a webpage advising that the campaign is now closed and no further applications can be made.
If, however, you apply whilst the campaign is still open and you did not receive a UIN, please call our 24hr helpline 0800 188 4444 with your query.

Or if a member of the RABI team has not contacted you by April to advise of the decision, please call our 24hr helpline 0800 188 4444 with your query quoting your UIN.

Once all the grants have been allocated, we will not be taking additional applications. If your family is in need of support, please call our 24hr helpline 0800 188 4444 and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your support needs.

Why not also explore RABI’s other services? We offer practical, emotional, and financial support.

Please call our 24hr helpline 0800 188 4444 and a member of the team will be in touch to discuss your support needs. You can also visit our website for more information. Why not also explore RABI’s other services? We offer practical, emotional, and financial support.