Warwick Uni Workers Mutual Aid Hardship Fund

Find the application form here!

We have set up this mutual aid hardship fund in order to offer support those in our community who are precariously employed and may have lost hours and pay as a result of changes and cuts made in light of COVID-19, including the closure of campus, the cancellation of exams, and the move to online teaching. 

While some staff have been furloughed, others are simply not eligible, while some (e.g. Unitemps workers) are only furloughed with 80% of their pay. Fixed term contracts will end when it is impossible to find alternative employment. Needless to say, the circumstances have created considerable hardship, uncertainty and impossible choices for many of our most precarious colleagues. For many, universal credit is also not an option. 

In creating this fund, we want to be clear that we believe that mutual aid is no substitute for support that should come from institutions, whether the University or the Government, through the guarantee of full pay or significant hardship funds. So far, this support has not been forthcoming, and we cannot stand by and watch our colleagues suffer. 

We initially wanted to do this as Warwick UCU, but trade union laws make it impossible to use our funds in this way. Thus we have opted to do this in a personal capacity and in partnership with Warwick Anti-Casualisation, We hope that this as well as the transparency of the Open Collective platform will help to give confidence that the funds will be managed and distributed with integrity. Please note however that the hardship fund is not restricted to UCU members, though we would encourage everyone to join one of the unions on campus. 

 

This fund will be available to workers at Warwick University, or those who worked for Warwick Uni and lost their job due to the crisis. You may be or may have been: on Unitemps contracts, on STP, on fixed-term contracts, contracted by Warwick through an external agency to provide services to the University.

We will prioritise by circumstances with the aim of supporting as many people as meaningfully as we possibly can.

 

You do not have to be a member of UCU, Unite, UNISON, WAC or any other union to apply for this hardship fund. However, we strongly recommend that you join a union and join the struggle for fair and sustainable employment environments.

The Unions recognised by Warwick University are:

·      Unite the Union (Unite)

·      UNISON

·      University and College Union (UCU)

 

We will require minimal evidence for the application process, such as a narrative and ‘back of envelope maths’ as to what you have lost or what you need to cover the basics. We do not need to see your bank statements, but you could add a payslip or an email from HR, agency, or Head of Department that states that you have lost work/hours. We do need proof to see that you are/were employed by Warwick such as your Warwick ID number, full name, or an email with contract details.

We will make an online form available that you can fill in with application details. We are aiming to open the application process around the May payday (24 May) and will be able to make payments by early June 2020 for the first round. If we have additional funds from the fundraiser, we will run further application rounds.

If you know someone who would be eligible for the Hardship Fund but does not have internet/computer access to fill in the form, please email us at [email protected] and we will work to support without the form.

Our declared aim is to provide support and relief to those most affected by this crisis and will work to approve rather than disprove applications.

 

Some may receive Universal Credit (UC) but still struggle financially. We need to be cautious because payments from the Hardship Fund may affect your UC eligibility. If you or someone you know is receiving UC and still struggling to make ends meet, we are open to discuss ‘in kind’ payments. Please contact us at [email protected].

 

We aim to open the first round of applications around the May payday (24 May) and make first payments in early June. We are hoping to be able to give £200 per applicant. However, if we are short of funds we will prioritise based on need.

We want to encourage those who need more to speak to us about their needs, and we encourage those who could make do with less to let us know that as well. We want to meaningfully support as many people as we possibly can and are open to discuss your individual circumstances.

 

Being affected by hardship can be a humiliating experience, on top of all the worries this comes with. We promise your data and any information pertaining to your person will not go beyond the administrators of this hardship fund.