Staff Welfare Fund
In March 2020, we opened a Hardship Fund to support our hardworking and dedicated workforce who were facing financial hardship as a result of the impact of Coronavirus. We also developed an Employee Help Pack to provide guidance about further grants, funds and resources to help staff at this time.
We have decided to reopen our Hardship Fund, which will now be referred to as the Staff Welfare Fund. This fund is for applications of discretionary grants of up to £350, for staff who are facing financial hardship. In certain circumstances we may provide help towards paying an outstanding energy bill or support with energy costs for employees who are at risk of severe fuel poverty.
We have also updated our Staff Help Pack to include the latest advice around external grants and funds, financial advice and mental health and wellbeing support. Click here to download.
What can we help with?
Creative Support has been proud to support a number of our valued employees through our Covid-19 Hardship Grant programme between May 2020 and March 2021 with things such as:
– General living costs
– Household appliances
– Funeral costs
– Contributions towards tenancy deposits for individuals at risk of losing tenancies
Previously, we received a large volume of applications resulting in us having to prioritise those experiencing severe hardship or at crisis point. Our forms and information have been updated to reflect any changes in criteria for applications.
Our Staff Welfare Fund is not limited by length of service; whether you are a new staff member or have worked with us for many years, we aim to support as many staff members as we can during this challenging time. Please note that anyone who has previously applied for the Hardship Fund is not eligible to receive a further grant. This is to allow us to support as many of our employees as possible.
Eligibility Criteria
– Grants are offered up to a maximum of £350 for staff facing financial hardship
– Any grant requests must be sent to welfare.fund@creativesupport.co.uk, to ensure no application is missed
– Any requests will be duly considered and you will received an outcome within 5 working days (Mon-Fri excl. bank holidays)
– We are unable to support repeat applications or support employees who applied previously as we want to ensure that we support as many employee as possible
– The Staff Welfare Fund should be used for people experiencing financial difficulties, this could include:
-
- Relationship breakdown;
- Bereavement;
- Needing to buy equipment because of a disability;
- Caring for someone with specific needs or an illness.
- Domestic violence
- Severe fuel poverty
– The Staff Welfare Grant is available for Contracted Staff only.
Please note: Creative Support is a not for profit organisation with charitable status, we are unable to act as an alternative to a bank as this is outside of our constitutional rules
Please note: Creative Support Staff Welfare Funds will ordinarily be paid via PAYE through Payroll and successful grants will be subject to tax and other usual deductions. We reserve the right to request proof of arrears and other evidence in order to pay 3rd parties directly to assist our employees.