Need emergency financial assistance? These resources can help
You wouldn’t be alone if you’ve ever found yourself worrying about how to get help with bills or other emergency expenses that pop up out of the blue. The cost of living is affecting us all. According to this Independent article, cost-of-living prices are rising at 3.6%, leaving many families struggling financially. If you need emergency financial help in Ireland right now, your options include government schemes, including the Supplementary Welfare Allowance, or free services like MABS and SVP, and online crowdfunding through platforms like GoFundMe.
We understand how difficult it can be to get help with finances but know there is hope. There are resources available to you if you need emergency financial assistance and aren’t sure how to get rid of debt. Learn more about the ways you can find your way back from a personal financial crisis through government assistance, non-profit programmes, and online fundraising. We can help with the latter.
What to do when a financial crisis strikes
During a financial crisis, reviewing your financial help options is important to avoid the pitfalls of credit card billing, predatory lenders, and other harmful debt relief solutions. Follow these tips:
- Stay calm: Easier said than done, but try to overcome feelings of panic and hopelessness and list ways to find emergency cash assistance through legitimate avenues. Panicking only makes you think less clearly, and then you are less likely to identify and land on the best option to help you out.
- Know your priorities: Reassess your budget and prioritise your spending. Look for ways to cut non-essential expenses to an absolute minimum.
- Ask for help: Seek advice from friends and family you trust and ask how to get financial help for your situation. They can offer a few ways to get emergency financial assistance. A problem shared is a problem halved, and you never know, they could offer you a new perspective that you hadn’t thought of yet.
- Check your entitlements: Before taking on debt, see what support or government payments you may be entitled to. The citizensinformation.ie website and MABS helpline (0818 07 2000) can help you identify everything available to you. Consider also checking your eligibility for a medical card in case of unforeseen health costs.
Government programmes that provide emergency financial assistance
Even with a new budget and a renewed focus, a financial emergency can still make it incredibly difficult to pay monthly bills and stay out of debt. If you’re still struggling to pay for expensive medical treatments, cope with unpaid maternity leave, or deal with any other unexpected costs, there are public and private programmes that can help you regain your footing.
Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) Scheme
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme is like an extra safety net in the Irish welfare system. It helps to further provide assistance to those in the welfare system who need it to support themselves or their dependents.
Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance
Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance is a weekly sum which is paid to those who need help or don’t have enough income to meet their needs. You may be eligible for the Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance if you have no income or if your income is below the Supplementary Welfare Allowance rate for your family. It is assessed on a means assessment, and you must live in the state and have registered for work to be eligible.
Additional Needs Payment
The Additional Needs Payment is there to support if you have an outgoing which you can’t afford from your weekly income or other personal resources. Even if you’re not getting a social welfare payment, you may be able to get an additional needs payment for things like:
- Heating and electricity bills
- Essential repairs to property
- Assistance with deposits
- Furniture and other items to set up a home
- Child related costs
- Immediate assistance for things like food
Rent Supplement
Rent Supplement is a payment that can be provided to those who are living in private rental accommodation but cannot afford the rent. The sum provided is determined by a number of different factors including how much your rent is and how much you are earning. A single person’s weekly minimum is around €30, where a couple could get €40 as a minimum.
Alongside this, HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) may be available for those with a long-term housing need who qualify for social housing support. This is a separate scheme, to which those on Rent Supplement for more than 18 months may be asked to transfer to by their local authority.
Student Assistance Fund (SAF)
The Student Assistance exists to help out students experiencing financial difficulty in Ireland. The SAF provides financial aid for living costs, books and various other expenses. Eligibility for the programme can differ based on institution.
Community Welfare Service
The Community Welfare Service offers discretionary payments to individuals who are in exceptional financial need. This payment can be assistance for expenses such as rent, utility bills and other essentials. Support is distributed on a case-by-case basis.
Fuel Allowance
The Fuel Allowance is a means-tested benefit available to eligible people in Ireland for help with paying household fuel costs from October until April. It is aimed at supporting those aged 66 or over, those under 66 who live alone, those with dependent children or those with others they care for and satisfy a means test or receive a qualifying welfare payment may also be eligible. Only one Fuel Allowance payment is available per household, even if there is more than one eligible resident, and it can be applied for online.
MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service)
MABS stands for Money Advice and Budgeting Service, which is a free, confidential service aimed at assisting people in debt to manage their finances and get back on their feet financially. It is available to all citizens of Ireland, regardless of household income, and funded by the government. You can contact MABS by phone (0818 07 2000) or by searching for your local service to visit in person.
Charities that provide financial assistance
There are also numerous charity programmes and grants that aim to help people with everything from food and housing to childcare.
Charity food assistance programmes
- Crosscare Ireland is a charity dedicated to providing solutions to those experiencing food poverty. They also have a cafe serving healthy, affordable and accessible food in Dublin.
- Dublin Simon Community is a foodbank which provides 1,000 meals a day to those who need them across Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, and Cavan.
- COPE Galway also provides foodstuffs to families and individuals who are in urgent need of it through the EU-wide FEAD programme, which aims to pull people out of food poverty in a sustainable way.
- FoodCloud is a social enterprise that redistributes excess food from businesses and food vendors to charities and community groups across Ireland. This is a great cause as it helps address waste and food inequality.
Non-profit help with utilities
If you need extra help with utilities, there are charities like the Society of St Vincent de Paul that can help. In 2025, the CSO Survey of Income and Living Conditions found that over 400,000 people went without heat at some point, and more than 245,000 people were unable to heat their homes adequately. If you’re struggling with energy bills, you can email SVP and ask for help. They consider each application on a case-by-case basis.
Charity housing assistance for mortgage and rent costs
If you’re struggling with mortgage or rent costs, there are also places you can go to ask for help. Citizens Information is a good place to start if you’re concerned about rent costs rising in an unaffordable way, for example. We’ve got a full blog post here on getting help with rent and housing costs to help. Threshold is a charity that works to help prevent homelessness by offering support to tenants across Ireland, helping to resolve issues affecting renters and keeping people in their homes.
FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centre)
FLAC, or Free Legal Advice Centre, is a human rights organisation dedicated to ensuring everyone who needs it has access to justice. FLAC can provide free legal advice to people on debt and financial matters, including those facing pressure from creditors or debt collectors or those threatened with eviction.
If you need financial relief, crowdfunding can help
Countless people who need help in an emergency have turned to crowdfunding to help. It’s free to set up a GoFundMe page and is a safe, secure and easy way to ask for help, which many people will want to give. You can start a GoFundMe for almost any reason and raise any amount, with the option to be flexible with your target should you meet it.
It’s easy to start a GoFundMe. You just need to consider your fundraising title, choose a picture to help to illustrate your plight and tell your story.
Rest assured, emergency fundraising for housing costs, utilities, medical bills, and everything in between is easy with GoFundMe. We offer a simple set-up process, 24/7 customer support, and a blog full of fundraising tips and ideas, like how to share offline through texting or WhatsApp.
It’s completely understandable to feel a sense of unease when reaching out for assistance during a financial crisis. However, it’s important to remember that those closest to you genuinely care about your well-being and want to see you succeed. Accepting help from those who love you can make all the difference in getting through this challenging time.
Get financial help now
When you’re unsure how to apply for emergency financial help and feel like you’ve reached a roadblock, GoFundMe is here for you. If you haven’t already, start a fundraiser and get support from the community around you to overcome this crisis.