Homelessness was something Lily, an experienced nurse, never expected to happen to her. When she was given a non-fault eviction notice following the breakdown of a relationship, her priority was keeping her sons safe and supported.
But this huge life change had an impact on her mental health, and she found herself temporarily unable to work. This brought additional financial challenges.
After a period of instability, when she was moved from one place to another, Lily was eventually placed in a new home. She was delighted to have some stability for her young family, but had to start from scratch.
Faced with the prospect of raising her children in a home with bare concrete floors, Lily turned to the RCN Foundation, an independent charity that offers financial support to nursing and midwifery staff, and was granted funding for a carpet.
Lily’s now back in work and settled in her new home. But her experience isn’t that unusual. In the past year, more than 1 in 10 RCN Foundation hardship grants were awarded to applicants who cited homelessness as one of the causes of their financial challenges. “All nursing staff can find themselves in challenging situations,” Lily says. “Please reach out to the RCN Foundation if you need help.”
Debt, and physical and mental ill health are just some of the reasons why nursing and midwifery staff like Lily need RCN Foundation’s support.
In the past year, many grant applicants simply couldn’t afford their rent, household bills, food and other essential costs.
Deepa Korea, Director of the RCN Foundation, says: “There are many reasons why nursing staff may be struggling and we’re here to help when they need us most. Our signposting hub is a directory of support available ranging from counselling to benefit entitlement checkers. Whether you're a nurse, midwife or health care support worker, you can apply for hardship grant and you don't need to be a member of the RCN to apply.”
Hardship grants are one-off payments of up to £500. The application portal includes a checker so you can find out quickly if you may be eligible or not. It usually takes a few weeks for eligible hardship fund applications to receive a grant, and waiting times are longer in December. If you need support sooner, take a look at the RCN Foundation support pages below to find other options for dealing with financial difficulty.
Further information
Take a look at the RCN Foundation support pages:
The RCN Foundation also offers educational grants and research and practice development grants. RCN Foundation education grants open in spring and autumn each year. Sign up to their newsletter to find out when they open.
