Day: April 28, 2020

Coronavirus: New life assurance scheme launched for frontline staff

  • New life assurance scheme launched for eligible frontline health and care workers during the coronavirus pandemic
  • Families of eligible workers who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline essential work will receive a £60,000 payment
  • Scheme will cover frontline NHS staff and social care workers in England
  • Funding will also be provided to devolved administrations to support similar schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The families of health and care workers on the frontline will benefit from a new life assurance scheme during the pandemic, developed after discussions with health and social care unions.

The scheme recognises the increased risk faced by staff during the crisis and will cover coronavirus related deaths of workers in frontline health and adult and children’s social care roles during the outbreak. It will cover staff who provide hands-on personal care for people who have contracted coronavirus or work in health or care settings where the virus is present.

Bereaved family members will receive a £60,000 lump sum worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for NHS staff, with the cost met by the government.

This will cover full, part-time or locum NHS and public health workers, including GPs, dentists, retired staff and second and final year students taking up paid frontline roles.

Within social care, the scheme will cover employees of publicly funded care homes, home care, directly employed carers including personal assistants and frontline child and family social workers.

The scheme is aimed at those who die from coronavirus during the course of their essential and lifesaving work. This includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters who continue to carry out vital duties in these care environments.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them.

“Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline.

“We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives.”

Employers will be asked to initiate claims on behalf of the individual’s families and claims will be verified and processed by the NHS Business Services Authority, who will work with employers to ensure claims are handled swiftly and sensitively.

Lottery cash boost for Edinburgh community projects

SCRAN Academy, People Know How and Dads Rock are among six Edinburgh projects to share in £247,582 funding from The National Lottery  Community Fund announced today.

Scran Academy receives an award of £10,000 to deliver free hot meals to vulnerable people across the North of Edinburgh, working with local partners to ensure gaps in service are covered.

John Loughton, Founder and Chief Executive of Scran Academy, which is based at Fet Lor Youth Club on Crewe Road South, said:  “COVID-19 has hit our communities rapidly and created serious implications for many of our most vulnerable people. 

“Scran Academy and our partners have been able to repurpose and rapidly respond to help offer over 10,500 delivered ready meals to those elderly, frail, facing food poverty or socially isolated.

“The support from The National Lottery demonstrates a trust and understanding in us as grassroots providers to ensure no-one went hungry or alone from day one.

“In many ways agencies like ours have become not only the sole source of hot food and human contact, but like a fifth emergency service. Everyone deserves the dignity of a safe hot meal and safe human interaction; that’s we do, thousands of times every day across the city.”

There’s also £10,000 for Crewe Toll-based People Know How.

The charity will use the funding to help cover the cost of refurbishing and delivering over 200 computers to those in need of support during the coronavirus outbreak.

By refurbishing donated computers, delivering them to people’s doorsteps, and providing follow up phone support, People Know How aim to support members of the community to stay connected, find support or home-school their children.

Dads Rock  will provide a wide range of online support to 1,000 families across the city over the next six months thanks to a National Lottery award of £9,950.

Thomas Lynch, Service Manager, Dad’s Rock, said: “Every year we work in deprived areas to help dads, children and families in need of support through free playgroups, mentoring of young dads and delivering antenatal and parenting workshops.

“Thanks to this funding we have been able to respond quickly to the impact of COVID-19 and support our beneficiaries at this difficult time. We are now providing online workshops to parents, including antenatal and Raising Children with Confidence.

“We are also supporting our Young Dads online and, on the telephone, providing music tuition online and providing support to all our families through videos and social media.

 “Through these activities parents feel supported and have the tools they need to fully support their children, even in lockdown.”

Biggest award of all goes to Edinburgh Development Group (Scotland), based at Craigmillar’s Castlebrae Centre, who receive almost £198,000.

This group will use the funding over three years to develop two further care co-operatives, using learning from the model previously operated within the City of Edinburgh.

The new co-operatives will be centred around South Queensferry and will involve a community of interest (people with disabilities) and a workers co-operative which will provide a range of support.

The project will work directly with 45 people and involve at least ten volunteers.

Intercultural Youth Scotland (£10,000) and Love Learning Scotland (£10,000) were the other Edinburgh-based projects to receive funding.

Across the country 141 groups, from charities to smaller voluntary led community projects, are receiving funding raised by National Lottery players for a range of activities, many of which will help people to support each other through the COVID-19 crisis.  

Projects funded include those that will deliver emergency care packages to vulnerable Scots, those providing online and telephone support to isolated people, as well as projects that will bring people together and give hope for the future once the lockdown is over.

Announcing today’s funding, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Scotland Director, Neil Ritch, said: “In these difficult and unprecedented times, it’s heartening to see the way Scottish communities are coming together to provide each other with support.  

“These awards, made possible by National Lottery players, recognise the hugely valuable and important contribution that Scotland’s voluntary and community sector plays in boosting the health, wellbeing and morale of local people.

“Many of them have found innovative ways to keep their communities connected during the current crisis, whilst others will support people in the future when they can physically come back together to make great things happen in their community.”

Over the next six months the National Lottery Community Fund will focus its funding in Scotland on those projects that supporting organisations and communities to respond to the challenge of COVID-19.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk