Coronavirus support

Help for those facing hardship due to Covid-19

As the news trade has adapted to the ongoing and ever changing coronavirus restrictions and thousands of industry colleagues find themselves coping with reduced income due to illness, quarantine, furlough or redundancy, we are pleased to be able to offer a wide range of services to anyone with a news trade connection facing hardship due to coronavirus. This includes:

  • State Benefit Advice – For those who (a) are not well enough to work (b) are currently under furlough, (c) the self-employed and (d) those that do not qualify for any of the corona related schemes and need to apply for Universal Credit. Ask our team for an assessment and guidance on how to maximise household income.
Ask our team
  • Anxiety Support Service – For those who are feeling overwhelmed and are worried about their mental health. Our services provide access to a Freephone Helpline available to you and your dependents. Free phone number 0800 138 6552. Further information is available on our website.
Emotional support
  • Debt Advice – Free professional debt advice is available to anyone with a news trade connection via our partnership with the Debt Advice Foundation. If you require advice on debt or need to talk to someone in confidence about your options, there’s no need to wait or book an appointment, this free debt advisory service is open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm on NewstrAid’s dedicated helpline number 0800 987 56 85. Further information available on our website.
  • Signposting and Information Services – we can advise on a range of family and welfare issues and signpost to specialist organisations where necessary. This includes guidance for people working from home and those who are looking after the vulnerable and dependent children.
Advice & signposting
  • Financial Support: One off hardship grants are available, subject to a financial assessment, for working people via our In Work Support Scheme (employed people facing hardship), our Fresh Start Assist (trading newsagents with welfare/family related issues) and finally, our ACE Children’s Fund (specifically to support the needs of dependent children). Please note that all applicants for financial assistance will be required to complete an application form and provide documentation to support financial situation. Each application is considered on its individual merits. Contact our Welfare Support Number 0800 917 8616 for further information or contact us via the button below.
Contact us

Download our leaflet outlining the Coronavirus support on offer.

How NewstrAid has adapted to working with the coronavirus restrictions.

Staff
From the initial period of lockdown up until the current time our small head office team have been keeping the charity operating whilst keeping safe themselves. All staff are set up to work from home and changes have been made to ensure our usual office space is safe for when an office base is required. We have also got used to meeting regularly via video conference.

Almoners
Although we have advised our volunteer almoners not to visit their beneficiaries for the time being, they have been keeping in contact via the telephone ensuring that everyone is safe and well, especially our most vulnerable contacts.

Committees and Trustees
All our Trustee meetings, Welfare Committee meetings and Area Committee meetings have continued to run via video conference and our Welfare Committee meetings have become more frequent to support all applications for support as quickly and efficiently as possible during these difficult times.

Beneficiaries
Over the course of the year we have kept in regular touch with our beneficiaries and were delighted to send our regular beneficiaries 2 care packages over the last few months. The first was a hamper of treats and goodies to keep their spirits up – this was kindly sponsored by a number of industry contacts (Link to press release about the packages). The second package included hand sanitiser and reusable face masks to ensure everyone stays as safe and well as possible.