If your issue can’t be fully resolved via the helpline advisor and involves a litigation dispute, you’ll be referred to a legal solicitor will assess your case and outline a plan of action.

In some cases, the solicitor may assist you in completing an application to gain a Voluntary Donation. Applications are reviewed and decided by the Fed’s benefit committee consisting of your fellow members like you.

Ratcliffe Fund

For members who have fallen on hard times and require emergency support .e.g. experienced a flood and waiting for an insurance claim to come through)

The Ratcliffe fund can award someone that is physically attacked and injured only and at the discretion of the benefits committee.

Carl Bridgewater Fund

The Fed’s Carl Bridgewater Fund can be used to reward and retain your young staff.

The fund can help in 3 ways:

• Empower your staff’s future with education or training
• Reward your staff’s act of bravery
• Help with the costs of stolen or damaged bicycles.

1. How the fund supports your staff’s education

If you employ young news deliverers or shop staff (aged 16-25), you can use the Fed’s Carl Bridgewater Fund of up to £1,000 to:

• Fund online training for retail staff – building confidence and knowledge to be able to help run stores
• Help employees with equipment to be able to do courses online
• Charity expeditions at home or abroad.

Criteria:

To benefit from funding of up to £1,000 for the chosen activity, applicants are required to:

• Detail the activity they intend to pursue. Demonstrate the impact and outcome the funding will achieve
• Provide confirmation letters and invoices from the company providing the activity
• Be an employee of a member of the Fed
• Provide a letter of recommendation from the member of the Fed along with their membership number
• Submit a completed application form with supporting costs.

2. Reward your staff’s act of bravery

Awards of up to £250 can be granted to those who have carried out acts of bravery during the service they provide such as helping a customer in dangerous situations or stopping crime.

3. Help with stolen/damaged bicycle

The fund can also pay up to £250 towards the replacement or repair of bicycles stolen or damaged, or have suffered injury or harm as a result of the service they provide.

Criteria

To apply for the fund, please provide

• Date of the incident
• Name of member
• Crime reference no.
• Story of what happened

For more information or to apply for the fund, email benefits@nfrn.org.uk or call the Contact Centre at UK: 020 7017 8880 or ROI: 01 453 5822.

Fill in the form for the Carl Bridgewater Fund.

Empowering Young People

Carl Bridgewater covers Empowering Young People where if you employ news deliverers or young shop staff (16 to 25), you can use this fund to support and develop their skills in the following areas:

Education including: 

• Funding online training for retail staff – building confidence & knowledge to be able to help run stores
• Helping employees with equipment to be able to do courses online 
• Family and welfare
• Health
• Sports 
• Culture and leisure
• Charity Expeditions at home or abroad

Criteria

To benefit from funding of up to £1,000 for your chosen activity, applicants are required to:

• Detail the activity they intend to pursue. Demonstrate the impact and outcome the funding will achieve
• Provide confirmation letters and invoices from the company providing the activity
• Be an employee of a member of the Fed
• Provide a letter of recommendation from the member of the Fed along with their membership number
• Submit a completed application form with supporting costs

Click here to download the application form.

Awards

Applicants will be considered on the basis of merit by the Benefits Committee on a monthly basis and the committee’s decision will be final. Grants will not be automatically awarded. Successful applicants will receive funding up to a maximum of £1,000.

Other Benefits of the Fund

• The fund can also pay up to £250 towards the replacement or repair of bicycles stolen or damaged, or have suffered injury or harm as a result of the service they provide ( Crime Reference Number required )
• Awards can be granted to those who have carried out acts of bravery during the service they provide.

To apply please email benefits@nfrn.org.uk. Please attach any supporting documents.

Hardship Fund

A discretionary payment of up to £1,000 to any member (or member’s spouse/partner) in membership for a minimum of 1 year who is in extreme difficulty following the death of their spouse/ partner.

Such funds will be released from the NFRN Benefits Fund subject to agreement by the National Trustees and in line with any relevant HMRC guidelines regarding provident benefits.

Convalescence fund

A grant of up to a max. of £1,000 in any 5 year period (T&Cs apply)

Qualification:

One year’s membership

This charity is administered by the NFRN Convalescence Trustees and applications can be made from a member affected by a prolonged and serious medical condition which has resulted in hardship and the need for convalescence and/or respite care.

To make a claim, use the Convalescence and Respite application form, available through the Benefits department at Head Office.

Half Convalescence & Respite Benefit – Members joining over the age of 60 years.

Fill in the form for the Convalescence fund.

Grants of up to £600 in any 5-year period for members who are suffering from a serious illness (this is not an income protection scheme).

Qualification:

One year’s membership. Full members, Full partner and Full multiple, and Affiliate members are eligible.

Serious Illness benefit is paid at the sole discretion of the Benefits Committee in cases of significant and long-term, life changing or life threatening illness.

To make a claim for Serious Illness Benefit, we require the member to complete the Serious Illness Benefit application form and attach the relevant supplementary evidence within three months of the serious illness diagnosis.

Application for Serious Illness Benefit.

Apply Online and attach your applications & supporting documents. Send your application to benefits@nfrn.org.uk

Personal Accident Benefit for News Deliverers

Death – £2,000

Loss of hand, foot, limb, eye or permanent incapacity  – £1,000

For newspaper deliverers of 13 years of age or over according to the individual by-laws in their area.

This benefit is applicable to accidents occurring when employed as a news deliverer on foot or by bicycle, but does not apply to accidents occurring from the use of motorised transport.

Claims must be made in writing to the NFRN had office within six weeks of the occurrence of the injury and, in the case of death, must be accompanied by a Death Certificate and a letter of authority from the member, authorising The Benefits Department to deal with the matter on his/her behalf and to make payment to the deliverer’s legal representative.

Accidents occurring in other circumstances, or when the news deliverer diverts from the direct route to or from his/her place of residence, will not be payable under this benefit but will be submitted to the National Trustees for consideration.

For the bereavement benefit we need the actual Death cert and have to send the letter to the nominee who we have on file so that will have to remain postal