Benevolent Fund

What is it?

The Benevolent Fund exists to provide assistance to members and their families who are experiencing severe financial difficulty. Currently 2p per week of each members contributions is being invested in the Benevolent Fund.

How to get it….

Applicants should apply to the Benevolent Fund via their Branch Secretary or Regional Office. The applicant should complete the form and return it to their Branch Secretary or Regional Office.

The Branch Secretary or Regional Office will then decide whether to support the application and forward it to Head Office.

Guidance Notes for Applicants Completing Benevolent Fund Claim Forms

We understand that it may not be easy for you to make this claim, and we want to do all we can to assist you in your time of need, so if you follow these guidelines it will make your job easier, and help the Benevolent Fund Committee (BFC) to make an informed decision, and get help to you as quickly as possible.

  • The Benevolent Fund has been set up to assist members who are in – ‘severe financial hardship’, and the Fund is available on the basis of donations agreed by the BFC, to members with at least one years membership, the claim has to be on an individual basis, and will be addressed specifically in relation to a members personal and family circumstances. Collective claims will not be considered, and please note the claim is not available to replace loss of wages, and is not available when other union benefits apply.

  • Do not submit the claim form to Central Office directly, it must be submitted to your Regional Office, your Membership Liaison Manager (MLM) or Branch Development Officer (BDO) will then contact you to discuss the claim and will then forward the claim to Central Office along with the appropriate recommendation.

  • Provide as much information as possible on the form provided. The more information the BFC has regarding your circumstances, the clearer they can be in considering your claim, and the more chance you have of a successful outcome.

  • You MUST be specific regarding the amount you are requesting, what it is for and the reason why.

  • Be specific about other organisations you have approached:

  • Who are they?
  • How have they responded? Is any solution pending from that source?
  • Why have you not applied to any other funding bodies?

  • Your claim to the union is very much last resort, you must provide evidence of all reasonable efforts made to claim from other relevant organisations (local authorities, benefits etc.)

  • Please also bear in mind that the BFC has also only recently been set up. The five members are all highly experienced members of the union, some of whom may have been involved with similar funds in the past, but this is a very new benefit to Community and the Committee is looking carefully at each claim in the early stages of this initiative to ensure we offer an appropriate and consistent response, and this may take a little time, so please be patient if you do not get an immediate response to your claim, you will be replied to.

Joe Mann MBE

Deputy General Secretary, on behalf of the Benevolent Fund Committee

Download the Benevolent Fund Application Form (PDF)Download the Benevolent Fund Application Form (PDF)