Welfare Assistance Application Form

Unite WM7015 offers welfare assistance to Unite members who are facing sudden, genuine hardship.

 

It’s a practical, short‑term support option for emergencies — the kind of moments when life hits hard and you need immediate help. Everything we do is carried out within the Unite Rule Book and the financial controls that govern branch funds.

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If you need assistance, tell us what’s happened, what the urgent issue is, and how we can contact you. We keep the process simple. We just need a clear picture of your circumstances so the branch can assess your application properly. If anything needs clarifying, an officer will get in touch.

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Applications are reviewed quickly and handled confidentially by Unite WM7015 officers responsible for welfare decisions. Support is discretionary, based on urgency, circumstances, and available branch funds.

 

This is not a general grant scheme or a replacement for statutory support — it’s targeted help for real hardship.

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Welfare assistance is part of the wider package of Unite membership benefits: collective strength, workplace protection, legal support, and access to union‑run schemes that exist to help members when they need it most.

 

This branch programme is one of the ways Unite WM7015 puts those values into action.

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If you’re struggling, reach out. We’ll look at your application and give you a straight answer.

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Based on the Rule Book provision allowing branches**“to assist members or their dependants who have suffered misfortune”** and the EC guidance requiring branch funds to be used for legitimate union purposes, properly authorised, recorded and auditable.

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Misfortune

Misfortune means an unforeseen or adverse circumstance causing significant hardship, loss, distress, or financial difficulty to a member or their dependant, whether arising from illness, injury, disability, bereavement, unemployment, family crisis, housing emergency, natural disaster, or other exceptional circumstances beyond the person's reasonable control.

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Misfortune may include financial hardship where the member can demonstrate that they have acted reasonably to manage their financial affairs and that the hardship is genuine, substantial and current.

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Financial Hardship

Financial hardship exists where a member is unable to meet reasonable essential living costs or priority financial obligations from their available income and resources, resulting in a risk of significant detriment to themselves or their dependants.

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Evidence might include:

• income and expenditure statements;

• benefit assessments;

• debt advice reports;

• evidence of arrears;

• medical or other supporting documentation.

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Priority Debts

For the purpose of assessing hardship:

Priority debts are debts where non-payment may result in loss of liberty, loss of housing, loss of essential services, court enforcement, or other serious consequences.

 

Examples commonly include:

• rent or mortgage arrears;

• council tax;

• gas and electricity arrears;

• court fines;

• maintenance obligations;

• certain tax liabilities;

• other debts carrying significant legal or financial consequences.

 

Wilful Non-Payment

Wilful non-payment means a deliberate and conscious decision not to pay a debt or financial obligation despite having the means, opportunity, or reasonable ability to do so.

 

Wilful non-payment may be indicated where a member:

• knew a debt was due;

• had sufficient resources to meet all or part of that debt;

• chose instead to direct funds to non-essential expenditure or lower-priority liabilities; and

• failed to take reasonable steps to address the debt.

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Interaction Between Misfortune and Wilful Non-Payment

Financial hardship resulting primarily from wilful non-payment of priority debts will not normally be regarded as misfortune.

 

However: Hardship may still be considered a misfortune where the failure to meet priority debts arose from circumstances substantially outside the member's control, including illness, incapacity, bereavement, reduced income, family breakdown, unemployment, mental health difficulties, or other exceptional circumstances.

 

Branch Assessment Test

When considering assistance under Rule 17.4 we will consider

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• Has the member suffered genuine hardship?

• Is there evidence of current financial need?

• Have priority debts and essential living costs been considered before non-essential expenditure?

• Did the hardship arise from misfortune or from deliberate avoidance of known obligations?

• Would a reasonable person regard the circumstances as deserving assistance?

 

This formulation is not a legal definition, but it is consistent with the ordinary meaning of misfortune, the Rule 17.4 wording allowing assistance for members who have suffered misfortune, and the EC guidance's requirements for accountable use of branch funds.

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This form allows WM7015 members to apply for financial assistance where they or their dependants who have suffered misfortune.

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The maximum award available is £150.00 for Enhanced membership and £75.00 for Basic membership.

 

It ensures the branch can assess need quickly and fairly.

 

Membership payments need to be fully up to date, and members must have been part of the branch for at least 26 weeks to qualify.

 

(maximum one claim in a 12-month period)

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Members with savings over £1,000 are not eligible for a welfare award.

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Savings include:

• Bank balances

• Building society accounts

• Cash reserves

• Emergency funds

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Branch funds shall not be utilised to assist a member or former member in obtaining legal advice, assistance or representation in respect of any court, tribunal or other proceedings brought against (or intended to be brought against) the Union.