Are you suffering financially as a result of coronavirus?
Apply to our COVID-19 response fund for a grant to help you during this difficult time. UNISON’s charity There For You has received generous grants from both UNISON and the CHSA (COVID-19 Healthcare Support Appeal) which enable us to support members who are struggling.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be a UNISON member and have paid at least two months subscriptions.
- You do not have savings of more than £2,500.
- Household income has reduced as a result of one of the following criteria:
– You and/or your partner are currently receiving SSP and either shielding, self-isolating or off sick due to other coronavirus related reasons;
– You and/or your partner have been made redundant/lost your job due to the coronavirus;
– You and/or your partner’s employer have reduced your working hours including loss of regular overtime (applicable also where partner is self-employed and loss of earnings can be proven).
What can I get help with?
We can help with a one-off grant of up to £500. We want to make this fund go as far as possible and help as many members as we can. Please only apply if you are in financial difficulty. Depending on your situation help will be awarded as follows:
- £350 living costs for applicants who are furloughed or have a salary reduction due to coronavirus
- £500 loss of employment grant due to redundancy
- Up to £500 housing costs grant – towards rent, mortgage, or council tax arrears that have accrued since March 2020
What supporting documents must I include with my application?
- Copy of most recent bank statement for a complete month (including your partner if applicable)
- In addition, if you are applying because:
- Your/your partner’s income has gone down, for example reduction in working hours, loss of regular overtime etc due to the coronavirus:
You should include payslips or bank statements to show your income before reduction and income now.
If you are applying for help with housing related costs, please also see point 4 below. - You/your partner have been furloughed and pay has reduced as a result – copy of letter from employer confirming this.
- You or your partner have been made redundant or, lost your job as a result of the coronavirus – copy of letter from employer confirming this.
- For help with rent, mortgage or council tax arrears accrued since the onset of the coronavirus, please provide a statement from your landlord, local authority or mortgage lender that will confirm the arrears position and period when reduced or no payments were made.
Note: UNISON cannot consider applications without a membership number and all supporting documents. Please have this information and documents ready to upload before completing the online form.
What if I don’t know my membership number?
Request your membership number.
How will you contact me?
We may need to contact you to request further information. All contact will either be by email or phone. Please remember to check your junk/spam folders.
Can I apply more than once?
While applications are limited to one per couple (this still applies if both partners have membership), you can reapply even if you received a grant from the COVID-19 response fund under an earlier programme.
If, in the last six months you’ve been helped through our main grants programme this may be taken into consideration. However, please don’t let this put you off applying.
What if I don’t meet the eligibility criteria?
If you do not meet the above criteria but are experiencing unforeseen hardship, whether related to the coronavirus or other reasons, we can possibly help in other ways. Please go to unison.org.uk/thereforyou for more information and to download our general application form.
How do I apply?
Applying online is the quickest and easiest way to apply. However, if you are unable to upload all supporting documents, we recommend contacting UNISON Direct so that an application form can be posted to you. (Note we do not recommend applying via a mobile handset).
Any questions?
If you have any queries concerning these guidelines, the form or, require help and assistance please email thereforyou@unison.co.uk