“The cost of living crisis hasn’t stopped, it’s become the norm.” Karen Poole, of UNISON’s Lancashire Constabulary branch, understands this all too well.
She’s speaking to UNISON about the upcoming Winter Essentials Grant run by There for You, UNISON’s welfare charity and about her role as a branch welfare officer and a trustee of There for You.
Winter Essentials Grant
The Winter Essentials Grant is the 2024 replacement for the charity’s Winter Fuel Grant. Two key changes have been made:
- The grant will no longer be allocated on a ‘first-come first-served’ basis. Instead, the grant will remain open for applications for 24 hours (starting 12 noon Wednesday 11 December). Eligible members will be chosen at random from the applicant pool and contacted to submit supporting documents.
- The grant will now be given in the form of a £200 voucher which can be spent in several nation-wide shops, rather than by a cash bank transfer.
Karen explains these changes – on the 24-hour application period she says: “A lot of teaching assistants, people in schools, cleaners – who tend to clean in the mornings – those low-paid workers were not given the opportunity to apply because it was done at set times.
“I was talking with the head of the charity recently, saying that the grant used to be a bit like buying Oasis tickets, if you weren’t on it exactly on time, ready to go, you’ve missed it.”
On the change to a voucher, rather than cash for heating and energy bills, she says: “It was time for a rebrand. Because of the cost of living crisis, issues are so much wider than ‘winter fuel’ now.”
She continues: “We used to give the cash to members with an expectation that they spend that on ‘fuel’, but there were no clear indications that the grant was being spent on energy.”
Karen highlights that by not defining exactly what the grant is for, it builds a sense of autonomy, which is vital in these types of charitable grants. “It’s about allowing people to make their own choices,” she says.
“We are there to support members, but we’re not here to direct them. We can signpost people towards other support we provide, like our budgeting tool, the debt planner, the benefits checker, or general advice – but we want to give people the authority and autonomy to make their own decisions.
“So, we’re encouraging people to use the Winter Essentials Grant to look at their own ways of dealing with things. Maybe that’s putting money towards food, or by buying a new coat, or a pair of winter shoes to keep them warm.”
You shouldn’t have to choose between heating and eating
There for You’s Winter Essentials Grant is designed to help members on low incomes by providing £200 vouchers to help with essential costs like food shopping.
Applications will be open online for 24 hours, starting at 12 noon on Wednesday, 11 December. Full eligibility criteria and the application form will be available on the Winter Essentials Grant page.
Full eligibility and how to apply here
Eligible members will be randomly selected from applicants. Due to limited funds and anticipated high demand, the charity regrets that not all applicants may receive support.
If you need assistance completing the application due to a disability access need, please email: weg@unison.co.uk or call UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857.
How can branch welfare officers help you?
Karen (pictured above) has been a branch welfare officer (BWO) for nearly 20 years and a trustee of There for You for nearly 10.
BWOs are elected annually in each UNISON branch and serve as members of the branch committees. Their role involves promoting the charity within the branch, and their employer, as well as providing support to members in need.
Karen explains her role: “My bread and butter is promoting the role so that if a manager sees a member of staff who is struggling, they know who to ring.
“Then people contact me, either they’ve been referred by their supervision, or they’ve heard by word of mouth – and I’ll support them, or will signpost them where they need to go.”
Support from There for You
There for You can provide a range of support, which branch welfare officers know inside out.
But further to the direct support provided by There for You, Karen’s branch has also built up a strong network with local foodbanks, “So that, when somebody comes to me because the washing machines has broken or, the car has broken down, they can refer into There for You to get that short-term financial buffer, if they’re eligible. But they can also get a referral to a foodbank, which takes the pressure off.”
She is quick to note, however, that she isn’t an expert in areas like debt or mental health: “I don’t provide specialist advice, but I listen to people and help them assess their options and point them in the direction of people who can help.”
Earlier this year, UNISON featured the story of a member in Karen’s branch who anonymously received significant support from their branch, There for You, and work colleagues, which allowed her to escape a domestically violent situation. Read that story here:
There for You: ‘I’d never known kindness and generosity like it’
Donating to the charity
Speaking about the charity, Karen says: “It’s an amazing support mechanism that very few people know about.
“But with the cost of living, as trustees we’ve recognised that the amount of money going out, through grants and the issues our members are suffering from, is more than the amount of money coming in, and that’s not sustainable for the future.
“So, if we want our charity to survive and be there for members, as branches we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is. If we don’t, it’s going to dwindle away. And we can’t have that, it’s far too important to our members.”
L-R: Tony Wright (chair, board of trustees), Abi Coombs (head of UNISON welfare) and Debi Potter (vice-chair, board of trustees)
Recently, Karen’s branch made a substantial donation to There for You of £15,000. Karen had abstained from the vote due to her vested interest as a trustee of the charity, “But, our branch officers knew the value of There for You because I’ve been promoting it over the last 10 years.
“The charity gives that hope, that reassurance, which allows members to rebuild their lives. Everybody I know that has had support from There for You, once they’ve gone through that difficult period in their lives, they have thrived.”
Find out how to support There for You:
