Your Welfare Officer is

Bill Salter

Mobile: 07946273337

Office: 02920746935

e-mail: Bill.Salter@wales.nhs.uk

Dear colleagues,
 
Cost of Living

UNISON’s Cost of Living Campaign launches next week. As part of it, UNISON Welfare are launching the Energy Support Fund to help members with rising fuel costs. Phase 1 will open for applications (via the UNISON website) at 11am on 5 October. Phase 1 will be closed once the first 2000 applications have been received. The Energy Support Fund will be a one-off payment of £200.
 
To be eligible for phase 1 of the fund, members must meet the following criteria:
 

• Must have 4 weeks of up-to-date membership as of 5 October. 
• Must not have received a main grant since March 2022.
• Must not have more than £1,000 in savings or rolling bank balance. 
• Must not have received more than £750 worth of grants if applying within first year of membership.
• Net household income of no more than £30k/year (£2,500/month).
• Monthly housing costs (made up of mortgage/rent plus any service charge & ground rent) make up at least 1/3 of net household income.
• Not in receipt of any means-tested benefits (excluding Child Benefit).

 
Click here for more details.
 
UNISON Welfare is calling on all activists to continue to encourage their branches to donate to the fund; and if you know of members who meet the eligibility criteria and are struggling with their energy bills, please let them know about the fund and how to apply.
 
We anticipate a very high level of demand. Please be advised that there will be a second phase of this fund which will launch in November; this phase will target members on low incomes and in receipt of means-tested benefits.

 
Secure and Engaging Ways to introduce members into debt support

At UNISON Debtline we understand how overwhelming being in debt can be, and how the first steps into support can sometimes be the hardest.  That’s why we have created a simply way for Branch Welfare Officers to refer someone to our debt service and support someone in making the first step. 
 
Our Secure Referral Hub provides each region unique access to provide information about the member who needs support with debt advice.   Each referral takes less than a minute to complete meaning you can spend more time on supporting members and less time filling in complex forms.  A few seconds of your time is all it takes to change a life and provide support.

To find out more, get in touch with your regional welfare contact and join us on a regional branch update to learn more about the UNISON Debtline and see how simple a referral is to make. 


Financial Wellbeing Fortnight

Meanwhile, the UNISON College is running a Financial Wellbeing College from 17 to 28 October. They’re running sessions designed to offer support and guidance during the difficult times ahead. More information on the sessions and how to get involved can be found here: Financial Wellbeing Fortnight | UNISON Learning and Organising
 
All the best from the UNISON Welfare team.

Welfare Officer Report 2021 -2022

Dear Colleague

We're pleased to announce that members can once again apply online to the CoVid Response Fund.  By way of reminder, members who are in financial difficulties as a result of CoVid could be eligible for a grant of up to £500.

The application process is straightforward however anyone who cannot apply online can email covidgrantenquiries@unison.co.uk and we will arrange for a form to be posted to them.

There will be many who are struggling at this present time and in need of help.  We would therefore appreciate if you could do all you can to ensure your members are aware of the help that is available. We will also be carrying out various promotion activities over the coming weeks. 

Please also remind members who are completing applications to ensure they include relevant supporting documents to avoid any delays to their application.

For more information go to: https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/services-support/there-for-you/financial-assistance/ 

Kind regards

UNISON There for You

Maggie Newell

Support Service Team Leader

Tel: 020 7121 5623

E-mail: m.newell@unison.co.uk

Fax: 0207 121 5552

Web: www.unison.org.uk/thereforyou

Our COVID response fund – helping members through the pandemic

It’s been a tough year for people right across the world, as COVID-19 has swept around the globe – and with no sign of it disappearing any time soon.

UNISON members have been among those facing the daily battle with the pandemic – not just in their work keeping our vital services going, but also on a personal and domestic front.

There for You is UNISON’s unique welfare charity and, in the summer, introduced a new fund to help members who were struggling financially as a direct consequence of the new coronavirus.

The first round of the COVID-19 response fund ran from May to July and distributed over £250,000 in grants to individual members in financial difficulty due to the pandemic.

Such grants have made a massive difference.

Carol (not her real name) is a paediatric nurse who lives with her partner and three school-age children in their own home in the North West.

When lockdown came, she found herself working longer hours, while her partner was furloughed on 80% of his usual pay.

“Bills went up – the shopping bill increased a large amount,” she explains.

“One thing built up on top of the other. Spending on the food and the kids as my partner tried to occupy them at home … extra cooking and washing too.”

Although her own earnings had increased slightly with the additional work, Carol’s transport costs had also risen, adding further pressure to the household budget.

She’d worked to reduce her credit card bills and the family’s energy supplier “gave me a payment break on bills – it was good they did that, but then the bills went up by £40-50 a month” after the payment break ended.

Then there was the council tax bill.

As if all that wasn’t enough, the family washing machine packed in.

Stress and worry

“I felt like I was going under,” she says. “I was so stressed … it just felt like it was going to get worse and worse.”

It was then that Carol saw from a UNISON email that, as a member, she could apply for one of the special COVID grants. She downloaded an application form and sent it off. That took care of the washing machine – and further grants lifted the pressure off with the energy bills and council tax.

“I was really grateful for the help,” says Carol, adding that it meant a great deal.

After lockdown eased, it was “nice when we could go out as a family again” – particularly for all of them to enjoy taking the family dog for a walk together.

But as regional and local lockdowns and restrictions have come back into play, Carol and her family – like so many others – face new difficulties. When she spoke to UNISON, her partner was back at work, but one of the children had been sent home from school because another pupil had tested positive for the virus.

Knowing that Carol is not alone and that many of our members face a difficult winter – and thanks to generous donations from UNISON and the CHSA (the COVID-19 Healthcare Support Appeal*) – the charity is now delighted to be announce it will re-open its COVID-19 response fund on 16 November.

Grants of up to £500 will be made to help members in financial difficulty as a result of coronavirus. Grants can support with day-to-day living costs: for example, if you or your partner are furloughed or shielding and relying on statutory sick pay.

They can help you through loss of employment due to redundancy or loss of working hours or a second job, or towards housing costs like rent, mortgage or council tax arrears that have accrued since March.

*CHSA (COVID-19 Healthcare Support Appeal) is a time-limited charity that is making grants to organisations helping frontline healthcare workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Grants are available to organisations helping individuals impacted directly as a result of COVID-19, either facing financial hardship or struggling with mental health related issues.

Worried about your finances? UNISON can help

Read the latest Unison Welfare Newsletter here:

Unison Welfare News Letter

Coronavirus: UNISON helping members financially

UNISON is responding to the national coronavirus crisis by offering practical help to members experiencing financial hardship.

Staff at the union’s dedicated charity, There for You, are seeking to reassure members that they are still offering a service to them.

And UNISON branches should divert all welfare support requests to There for You, so that there is one, consistent process at this time.

General secretary Dave Prentis said: “The union would like to be as flexible as possible. However branches should not be setting aside or establishing their own welfare funds for this purpose, as this could lead to some confusion for our members on how to seek support.”

And branches must also remember not to use industrial action funds or property funds to finance hardship – this is not permitted.

Mr Prentis added: “These are unprecedented times, so that’s why I’m asking all branches to consider making a donation to support our charity There for You.

“Members need our help right now – your donation could make a huge difference to so many lives.”

Helping members

The team at There for You is fully committed to providing a complete service throughout the current crisis. The charity remains open and fully operational. 

However, some adjustments on how things normally work may be necessary:

1. Wherever possible, please scan all applications for financial assistance and supporting paperwork and send to  thereforyou@unison.co.uk.  This will ensure there are no undue delays in processing an application.
2. If you find yourself unable to support members due to work, family or other pressures, a reminder that members can apply directly with an application form without going through the branch.
3. If you are dealing with an emergency situation – either linked to COVID-19 or other financial pressures – and your member has no money at all,  call 020 7121 5620. During these unprecedented times, members can apply to us directly for an emergency payment.
4. If your enquiry concerns an existing case, please in the first instance email thereforyou@unison.co.uk quoting the relevant case number.  Our aim is to get back to you within 2-3 working days at the very latest.

If you require advice and/or are unsure if someone would be eligible for support, call 020 7121 5620 or email thereforyou@unison.co.uk.

When phoning, callers will be asked to leave a message. In emergency situations, we aim to be in touch on the same or next day.

Please regularly check your mailbox (including junk folder) and the UNISON website for further updates in the event that new measures are introduced.

Forms are downloadable from There for You online.

Struggling to pay your bills? Increased heating, lighting and water bills, along with the impact of the recession, mean that many members are having problems paying their fuel bills. 

Supporting UNISON members when life gets tough

We offer a unique confidential advice and support service just for members of UNISON and their dependants.

If you are struggling through an unexpected crisis, or if the pressures of every day life are getting to you, There for You can help.

Whether it's just a chat and a sympathetic ear, or more concrete help you need, we may be able to help.

We offer:

• Financial assistance
• Debt advice
• Wellbeing breaks
• Support and information

UNISON is the only trade union to offer a confidential advice and support service to its members and their families in the form of a registered charity. UNISON Welfare, now been rebranded as There for You: supporting UNISON members when life gets tough.

In recent years, we noticed that the name "Welfare" was putting some people off, while other members didn't understand what services we provide.

So we've rebranded our services as the more approachable There for You: supporting UNISON members when life gets tough. The charity's official name remains UNISON Welfare.

Cardif & Vale Credit Union offers flexible savings and affordable loans. We also offer junior accounts and school savings clubs in local schools across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Anybody who lives or works in Cardiff or the Vale of Glamorgan can join as a member. For more information click the link above.

Wellbeing breaks

We are aware of the pressures on UNISON members and the many obstacles to achieving a happy and healthy work life balance. Our well being breaks can provide welcome relief from the stresses of daily life and the space and time to reflect away from difficult or depressing circumstances.

We can help with all or part of the costs of a break depending on your financial situation.

The wellbeing breaks include:

• family holidays and outings
• get well breaks
• breaks in other special circumstances e.g. for carers and following bereavement

The breaks are delivered in partnership with the Family Holiday Association, a national charity that specialises in providing holidays for families in need. For example, they can arrange a stay in self-catering accommodation in a chalet or caravan at selected UK holiday centres. UNISON’s award winning Croyde Bay holiday village in Devon is a popular destination with members. Alternatively, you can organise accommodation of your own choosing in the UK.

Family holidays  

Get well breaks

Our get well breaks are designed to support any members with or without children, or their dependants, who are recovering from illness (including stress), accident or an operation and who are not in need of nursing care.

We recognise that ill health can sometimes impact on the whole family and that there will be occasions when it will be beneficial for the person who is ill and the whole family to get away together.

The service is flexible depending on your needs with a choice of accommodation such as hotels and guest houses or traditional convalescent facilities and shorter breaks.

Other special circumstances

We can provide respite breaks for carers with day to day responsibility for a disabled dependant and breaks following bereavement of a partner or dependant child. Breaks are also available for those with a terminal illness.

This is only a summary of the information available. Please refer to the wellbeing breaks application form and accompanying guidance notes before making your application.