Our work and how we help

Support is delivered in a range of ways, tailored to individual need. Grants are frequently provided to ease the burden of priority debt arrears, particularly where there is a risk of eviction, and especially when young children are involved. For older beneficiaries, a lack of savings can mean essential household appliances cannot be repaired or replaced; in these cases, the Fund steps in to ensure that vital items are provided.

Illness and disability can necessitate costly adaptations to the home, such as stairlifts, walk-in showers and wheelchair access. Grants are therefore provided to help meet these needs and enhance quality of life. Support may also include funding for recuperative holidays or short breaks, giving carers essential time to rest.

The Fund regularly contacts BT pensioners to offer support. This is typically provided as a one-off financial grant. Where white goods or essential appliances are required, these are supplied directly through our approved provider.

In addition to one-off grants, elderly former BT employees, or their dependants, on very low incomes may be eligible for ongoing weekly support, whether they live independently or in residential care.

Below are examples of the support we provide. However, assistance is always tailored to each applicant’s individual circumstances:

• Settlement of priority debts
• Settlement of, or contribution towards, funeral costs
• Assistance with rehousing costs
• Assistance with expenses caused by illness
• Repair or replacement of essential household equipment
• Supply of or contribution towards aids for the disabled
• Essential property repairs as deemed appropriate
• Property alterations to assist with disablement
• Day to day living expenses
• Assistance with nursing/residential care home fees
• Assistance with short-term respite and convalescence care, including respite for carers
• Assistance with re-training costs where such expenditure is judged to have the potential to result in longer-term reduction of financial hardship
• Assistance with reducing long-term overdrafts where this will save excessive monthly fees or penalties
• Assistance with essential car repairs
• Assistance with essential travel costs
• Assistance with personal loan and credit card debt
• Assistance with overdrafts

In exceptional cases, hardship may be recognised where an individual’s health and/or wellbeing is at risk due to their inability to meet a particular obligation, even if this falls outside the examples outlined above.

Hardship is assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account an individual’s overall financial position and personal circumstances. This typically includes reviewing income, essential expenditure, debts, savings, and any assets to understand whether someone is unable to meet their basic living costs or priority commitments.

Consideration is also given to wider factors that may impact financial stability, such as illness, disability, caring responsibilities, or recent life events like bereavement or loss of employment. In some cases, even if standard financial criteria are not fully met, hardship may still be recognised where an individual’s health or wellbeing is clearly at risk.

The aim of the assessment is to build a complete picture of need, ensuring that support is targeted fairly and proportionately to those most in need.