Ben has said it will continue to be there for the automotive community providing health and wellbeing support for automotive people and their family dependants.
In response to Covid-19, the organisation is aiming to fast-track access to Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) specifically for individuals who reach out for financial or monetary concerns relating to the current Covid-19 situation. This will include:
Reviewing personal circumstances
Working with individuals to ascertain their key financial commitments and support short to medium term planning and solutions, including (but not limited to) the following:
- Payment breaks for mortgages/housing providers, lenders
- Payment breaks for ongoing commitments such as council tax and other utility bills
- Local Authority hardship grants
- Supporting access to other charitable support or grants as applicable
Benefits maximisation
Supporting individuals to understand what they may be entitled to, how to access and supporting individuals in accessing this financial support.
Welfare grants
Ben will continue to distribute welfare grants, but it has reduced the threshold of eligibility related to personal savings to ensure that it can support those who are in the greatest financial need.
Following a personal review, welfare grants will be administered on a case by case basis. Right now, Ben has said it can only commit to short-term, one-off urgent need grants to support individuals. This may include support for utility bills such as gas and electricity, council tax, provision of food / household goods, telecommunications, emergency fuel, essential travel costs and childcare.
Priority will reportedly be given to those individuals who are directly impacted by Covid-19 specifically related to inability to work (due to the requirement to socially distance or isolate themselves if in a vulnerable group, through illness, school or childcare closures and company shutdown).
What else are Ben doing?
Ben has said it is currently working on plans to increase the number of people available to support enquiries through deployment of other staff groups that can’t fulfil their usual roles at this time.
It has reviewed how it can increase and fast-track access to its digital health platform, SilverCloud, to enable individuals to access self-help support programmes for issues such as anxiety, depression, resilience, stress, sleep, money worries and mindfulness activities.
Ben has also developed further online support content which can be accessed via its website with tips, advice and tools related to:
- Managing money
- Stress, coping strategies and resilience
- Self-care during self-isolation and family isolation
- Home working
Individuals can still receive support specifically related to any mental health issues they may be experiencing which includes access to mental health assessments, life coaching and telephone based counselling or other talking therapies*.
*Please note that Ben cannot access face to face counselling or other talking therapies at this time in line with government guidance.
