block grant

noun

1. a consolidated grant of federal funds, formerly allocated for specific programs, that a state or local government may use at its discretion for such programs as education or urban development.

block grant

noun

1. (in Britain) an annual grant made by the government to a local authority to help to pay for the public services it provides, such as health, education, and housing

block grant

1. A financial aid package that grants federal money to state and local governments for use in social welfare programs, such as law enforcement, community development, and health services. Block grants provide money for general areas of social welfare, rather than for specific programs. This arrangement not only reduces bureaucratic red tape (see also red tape), but also allows grant recipients more freedom to choose how to use the funds. A product of Republican administrations in the 1970s and 1980s, block grants reduce federal responsibility for social welfare. (See federalism.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of block grant¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Any increase in income tax by the UK government could see a fall in the block grant Scotland receives from Westminster as a result of a funding agreement called the Block Grant Adjustment.

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That is because the UK government is able to deduct funds from the block grant that it estimates it would have received if tax-raising powers were not devolved to Holyrood.

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This is used to determine how much should be deducted from the block grant to effectively compensate the UK government for funds it has forgone by transferring tax-raising powers to Holyrood.

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The current state budget also includes a $60-million block grant, to be divided among the community colleges, that is meant to mitigate federal cuts.

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Project 2025 calls for Title I to be delivered to states as block grants, or chunks of money with few restrictions.

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