Family break - Inspire

Inspire :

We are able to consider grants for personalised family breaks in the UK and abroad through our contracted provider, Inspire. Inspire work with over 300 agencies and tour operators to bring you the widest variety of family break options, whether you choose to travel in the UK or overseas.

Any break booked through Inspire must include the main carer and the child that you applied for. Additional family members and/or carers can also be included in the booking.

How to use your grant

You will receive your Inspire card in the post.

Book online or over the phone on 0161 440 6743 (select option 1 when prompted)

Your Inspire grant is issued with an expiry date of six months from issue. This date can be viewed on your Family Fund online account or by calling 0161 440 6743. You must book and spend the grant in full by this date; however your travel date can be anytime after the expiry date. Any unused funds on the date of expiry will be returned to Family Fund.

Due to travel restrictions and park closures, we have extended all family break grants due to expire over the coming months to 31 December 2021. This gives you more time to book your break for a future date (you do not have to take your break before 31 December). If your grant expires after 31 December 2021, it is not affected.

Lost your card? Please contact Inspire on 0161 440 6743.

If the break costs more than your grant amount you can choose to add your own money to the grant so that you can find your ideal break.

You can use your grant to book more than one break, just call the dedicated travel team on 0161 440 6743.

Here are a few ideas of the breaks you can book with Inspire:

• A camping holiday in Cornwall

• A week in the sun in Spain

• A trip to Disneyland Paris

• A trip to Legoland*

• A theatre break in London

• A cottage break in the country

• Blackpool Pleasure Beach wristbands*

• A visit to Ripley's in London*

• A trip to Alton Towers or Drayton Manor Park*

*A minimum of one night’s accommodation must be booked for this location

Frequently asked questions on family breaks with Inspire

Why does my holiday cost as much as it does?

The cost of individual family breaks is determined by Inspire, with the intention of keeping the costs as low as possible for our families. At times it may seem that the cost of an Inspire family break exceeds that of other family break providers. This additional cost can originate from third party family break providers including a booking fee on to the break.

How quickly should they respond to my query?

It can take Inspire time to respond depending on the complexity of the holiday you are looking to book. The more information you have to hand when making your enquiry, including clear dates and budget, the more quickly it should be able to respond.

Can we make bookings directly with hotels, campsites and other small travel organisations?

Inspire only makes bookings with licensed, reputable operators to ensure that a family is not at risk of losing their grant if their holiday is suddenly cancelled at short notice or through bad practice on the part of the operator. This sometimes restricts them to recognised names or national organisations as the smaller venues are not always properly licenced in this way.

Can I use my Inspire grant to book a family break at Butlin’s?

Yes, you can book a family break at Butlin’s through Inspire, at no additional cost compared to booking with Butlin's directly.

Our aim is to support families with grants that will make a real difference, and we can provide grants for a wide range of items.

Our popular grants include washing machines, sensory toys, family breaks, bedding, tablets, furniture, outdoor play equipment, clothing, and computers. We offer grants for many more things too, and are happy for you to contact us with requests for things that you can prove will help meet your child’s additional needs.

We help families across the UK who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 17 or under. You can apply to Family Fund if:

• You live in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales (Please note: If you are a family living in Wales, please visit our Wales application pages to apply.)
• You are the parent or carer of a disabled or seriously ill child or young person aged 0-17 who lives with you
• You are currently living in the UK and done so for at least six months, or three months if your child is less than six months old.
• You are eligible to work and apply for public funds
• Your child is not in Local Authority care
• You need to also have evidence of entitlement to any one of the following:*
• Universal Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income Related Employment Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit. Your child or young person has a high level of additional support needs arising from a long term disability or disabling condition or a serious or life limiting illness. By long term we mean lasting or likely to last 12 months or more.