There for You (UNISON Welfare)

Members experiencing financial and emotional difficulties can contact our welfare charity, There for You, which provides a confidential advice and support service for members and their dependants.

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.

We have received generous grants from UNISON and the CHSA (COVID-19 Healthcare Support Appeal) which enable us to support members who are struggling.

Worried about rising energy costs and keeping warm?

Help is available. This information guide contains details of organisations and schemes that can provide support and assistance, charities – including UNISON’s own charity – that may be able to give financial help towards heating bills, useful contacts and money saving tips.

 https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2022/02/26687_fuelcosts.pdf

Webinar: Protecting workers' mental health

            

Event details

Date

Wed, 18 May 2022 - 14:00 to 15:00

Cost

Free

Register here

YOUR UNION - HAVE YOUR SAY

 

Now is the time for you to have your say on who represents you on your service group executive committee.

The committees' jobs are to make decisions that will help the union improve your pay and conditions and protect your interests at work. They are made up of ordinary members across the country doing similar jobs to you; or working for similar sorts of employers. It's important that your union represents every member, so please use your vote.

Voting is open from 28 April 2022 and closes at 5pm on 25 May 2022, so there's plenty of time for you to have your say. It only takes a few minutes.

Civica Election Services (formerly Electoral Reform Services) is administering the election on behalf of UNISON. As well as a postal pack, this year you are receiving voting instructions by email, to enable you to cast your vote online. Voting online is quick and very straightforward and, importantly, saves the union money.

Please click here to vote and view information on the candidates. This link is unique to you and should not be forwarded on to anyone else.

This is your union - so have your say.

New Stewards and Officers for 2022/23

 

Following our AGM on Thursday 31 March 2022 the new stewards and officers for 2022/23 can be found here

Pension Dashboards Government Consultation until 13 March 2022

The government is planning to introduce an electronic communications service for individuals to access information about pensions.

A consultation on the draft regulations seeking views on a range of policy questions relating to the creation of pensions dashboards is currently open.

Details of the consultation are available on the GOV.UK website and the deadline for making comments is 13 March 2022.

Who is this consultation aimed at?

From any interested parties. They are particularly keen to hear from:

• individuals with a UK pension
• pensions and lifetime savings industries
• finance and consumer representative groups with an interest in pensions capability, financial capability, data protection and security
• trustees or managers of occupational pension schemes
• pensions administrators
• pensions administration software providers
• firms interested in offering Integrated Service Provider (ISP) services
• Financial Technology (Fintech) companies
• organisations interested in setting up pensions dashboards

Introducing the year of disabled workers

After two years during which disabled members have faced unprecedented challenges, UNISON has made 2022 the year of disabled workers.

It’s vital we speak out against disability discrimination, challenge negative stereotypes and work to remove barriers that stop disabled people achieving their goals. Together, we can create a society where disabled people are valued for who we are.

Check out the full story at https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2022/01/introducing-the-year-of-disabled-workers/

Martin Lewis: Working from home due to coronavirus, even for a day? Claim TWO years' worth of tax relief

 IMPORTANT UPDATE 28 Jan 2022: Unconfirmed reports in the Telegraph suggest the Treasury may close the working-from-home tax rebate microsite, so employees can no longer claim a whole year's rebate if they've worked from home at any point, even for just a day in this or the last tax year – similar changes would likely affect self-assessment claims too. While there’s no date attached, for safety, if you haven't claimed yet and are eligible, read below and do it now...

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If you are requires you to work from home, you've always been able to claim for

increased costs, eg, heat or electricity, for the specific time at home. Yet during 

the 2020 lockdown, 

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) launched a 'microservice' which, even if you only

needed to work from home for a day, allowed you to get a WHOLE year's tax relief.

More information can be found here

Viedo explaining how to claim below