UNISON "there for you" grants for School Uniforms

UNISON's special charity for its own members "there for you" is helping low paid families to meet the cost of providing school uniforms. If your net earned (work) income is less than £18,000 per year (see below) and you have savings of less than £800 then you can get £40 per child uniform grants from UNISON "there for you"  up to £120 (for 3 kids).

What are UNISON There for You School Uniform Grants?
In addition to our normal range of services and in response to the growing difficulties many members on low income  face,  a programme has been put in place that will assist our most vulnerable members with the cost of purchasing school uniforms.

How much are the Grants?

They are one-off grants of £40.00 per school age child, up to a total of £120.00

Am I eligible?

To be eligible you must be:
·         A member who has paid 4 weeks subscriptions before the launch date of this programme (23/5/16)
·         Have a total net annual household income of £18,000 or less.  [Note:By household income we mean net earnings after tax, national insurance, pension deductions  of you, your partner and any other adults living in the property.   Please also refer to next bullet point:
·         The following is not included as income for the purpose of this specific grants programme:
-          Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Child Benefit and the childcare cost element only of Working Tax Credit
·         Responsible for meeting household bills and struggling to pay them
·         Financially responsible for the child/children.
·         Not eligible for funding for uniform costs from your Local Authority

Is there anything else that may affect my entitlement to apply?

·         Members and their partners must not have combined savings or, a rolling bank balance of more than £800.00.  Savings of any other adults in the household do not apply
·         You must not have received financial assistance from UNISON There for You during the previous six months
·         Applications are limited to one per household
·         Ensure you send all requested paperwork with the form or the application cannot be accepted

How do I apply?
To apply for a School Uniform Grant simply:
·         Download from our website www.unison.org/thereforyou
·         Contact Unison Direct on 0800 0857 857 for a form to be posted to you
·         Provide us with evidence of your entire household income by sending copies of :
o   You and your partner (if applicable) last month’s payslip(s)
o   Last full month’s bank statements for all bank accounts held by you and your partner (if applicable)
·         Submit the form along with the completed short survey by 15 July 2016.
·         Post your application including all supporting paperwork to: UNISON Welfare, UNISON Centre, 130 Euston Road, London NW1 2AY.

Where can I go for further help or advice?

There is a limited amount of funding in the school uniform grants programme and once it has been exhausted no further awards for the year can be made.  However if you are facing unforeseen hardship it may be possible for you to apply to our general grants programme.  We will let you know if this applies to you. 

For further information, please see our web pages at www.unison.org/thereforyou, contact your Branch Welfare Officer or the There for You Support Team on  020 7121 5620  or email thereforyou@unison.co.uk.   If you are experiencing difficulty with credit card and other consumer debts, please refer to our additional  information at https://www.unison.org.uk/get-help/services-support/there-for-you/debtline-support/, or contact our Debline direct on 0800 389 3302.