Financial assistance From your UNISON

If you are a member and you are experiencing financial difficulties, whether due to coronavirus or other circumstances, There for You can offer you support, including one-off grants.

• COVID-19 response fund
• UNISON benefits calculator
• Help with debt

COVID-19 response fund

The COVID-19 response fund offers grants of up to £500 to help members whose household incomes have been affected by the pandemic.

In addition to There for You funds, we are very grateful to have received generous grants from UNISON and CHSA (the COVID-19 Healthcare Support Appeal) which enable us to support members who are struggling at this time.

Check whether you are eligible and apply online here:

Apply online

By far the quickest way to apply and receive a decision is online.  If you are unable to apply online, please ​check if you are eligible and email covidgrantenquiries@unison.co.uk with your name, membership number and address and we will post a form to you.​ 

 

Other financial assistance

You may have financial difficulties for all sorts of unexpected reasons, such as:

• Loss of income;
• Relationship breakdown;
• Bereavement;
• Suffering from a long illness;
• Needing to buy equipment because of a disability;
• Caring for someone with special needs or an illness.

What we can help with

There for You is proud to support thousands of members and their families every year with things such as:

• general living costs
• household appliances
• urgent repairs
• disability equipment and adaptations
• utility bills
• funeral costs

Check out by clicking HERE to see if your eligible 

International Workers’ Memorial Day

 

Wednesday 28 April is International Workers’ Memorial Day. This is the day when we get together to remember all those who have died through their work, and rededicate ourselves to the fight for the living.

But never has this annual day – and the act of remembrance – felt more important.

Thousands of workers across the UK will be continuing to care for those suffering from COVID-19 or delivering the vital public services that protect us and keep us and our communities going – as they have over the past year of pandemic.

Their health and safety is entwined with everyone’s health and safety. And in working as they have, they’re potentially putting their safety – and possibly even their lives – at risk. UNISON says ‘thank you’ to every single key worker for everything they are doing for our communities during this unprecedented period.

The past year has given a timely reminder that unionised workplaces are safer workplaces. On this International Workers’ Memorial Day UNISON is calling on everyone to hold a minute’s silence, at 11am, specifically to remember those who have died of COVID-19 while carrying out their work.

Other things you can do include:

• Tweet at us – @unisontweets – with your pictures of public service workers, whether of yourselves or colleagues continuing to do the jobs that are keeping us all safe;
• if you are having a problem getting PPE, let us know;
• email any other COVID-19 safety-related issues to healthandsafety@unison.co.uk 

Find out more about health and safety at UNISON 

Become a UNISON safety rep

Key workers offered free cruises with Royal Caribbean - how to get tickets

 Royal Caribbean is offering free cruises to key workers in the UK to thank them for their efforts during the COVID pandemic.

The cruise firm has announced that 999 rooms will be allocated to personnel from the emergency services, NHS, social care sector, and Armed Forces, with the firm’s Anthem of the Seas ship sailing from Southampton from 7 July 2021.

It will operate ocean cruises as well as voyages around the UK coastline visiting destinations such as Liverpool, Belfast and the Orkney Islands.

All crew will be fully vaccinated.

How do I apply?

Workers who want to apply for the voyages must register on the cruise line’s website to enter a ballot.

Royal Caribbean chief executive Michael Bayley said: “The UK is a place we hold near and dear to our heart at Royal Caribbean. We miss our UK guests and are as eager as they are to get back to cruising from Southampton.

“We are delighted with the UK Government’s recent announcements regarding cruising and excited to set sail again with a phenomenal ship and favourite such as Anthem of the Seas,” he added.

“After a tough year, we all need a holiday, but no one more so than the emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces who will have the long-awaited opportunity to get away and relax with total peace of mind.”

Story taken from Oxford mail

Show your support for an NHS pay rise

Today, Thursday 1 April is #NHSPayDay. Put a colourful rainbow poster in your window to support a proper pay rise for all NHS workers.

UNISON has commissioned children's illustrators to design some templates to colour in – you can download them here!

People across the country are being asked to put colourful posters in their windows in support of a proper NHS pay rise, in a campaign launched today (Friday) by health unions representing more than a million health workers.

Fourteen unions – including UNISON, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives – are urging households across the UK to show their appreciation for NHS workers with bright, hand-finished displays on Thursday 1 April.

The unions say this will show the public strength of feeling on the day NHS staff should have received a wage increase and be a welcome ‘thank you’ for all their tireless efforts over the past year to keep everyone safe.

Is the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine safe?

There is no evidence linking the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to an increased risk of blood clots, EU and UK regulators have ruled.

Several European countries have resumed the roll-out of the jab after temporarily pausing it because of concerns.

To read the full story from the BBC click this LINK

Everything you need to know about the Oxford Vaccine Video 

Spring 2021 RoadMap Video Explainer - Public Health England

 

Step 1 and 2 of the government's roadmap