Covid Support Scheme
The Covid Support Scheme, part of our Benevolent Fund, offers grants of £500 to individual members whose finances have been significantly affected by the pandemic.
We will also consider granting awards to those working in the sector who have been unable to renew their membership due to their financial circumstances during the pandemic.
The scheme is open for applications now and we have a number of grants to distribute, so if you or a fellow member have been impacted by the pandemic, please ensure that you apply or encourage others to do so.
Priority will be given to those suffering the most hardship, including applicants who have been made redundant during the current period, have little or no savings, or are in freelance and contract work that has been curtailed during this period and support is unavailable or at a very low level.
Apply now to ensure that you take advantage of this available support.
Application criteria
Grants will be awarded of £500 to successful applicants.
Please read the conditions below. We note that the funds available are limited and therefore we would encourage only those meeting the criteria below to apply.
2.1 Applicants must:
Be a current individual member and have been an individual member for at least two years.
However, we will consider applications from lapsed members of two years or more who work in the sector who have not been able to renew their membership due to their financial circumstances during the pandemic. Applicants awarded grants on this basis will be asked to renew their membership for one year using the funds awarded.
2.2 The application must not be to replace any state benefits to which the applicant may be entitled and must not jeopardise the applicant’s entitlement to any state benefit.
2.3 The need must be genuine.
2.4 We will make the assessments on a case-by-case basis, and priority will be given to those in severe financial distress, including applicants who:
- Have been made redundant during the current period
- Have little or no savings
- Are in freelance and contract work that has been curtailed during this period and support is unavailable or at a very low level
2.5 Consideration may be given for a second award of £500 after a three-month period if a continuing case for hardship is made.