Helping individuals
For times of need
Help for individuals and their dependants needing financial or emotional support, information, guidance and advice – or grants for training.
We aim to provide:
- Hardship grants – including support towards mobility aids for occupational health needs.
- Grants for education and training
- Our Construction Worker Helpline – free support and guidance in times of need.
Hardship grants
When financial difficulty strikes – perhaps as a result of redundancy or a period of unemployment – it can have a devastating impact on individuals and their families.
You could be eligible for help if you currently work in construction or if you’ve done so previously. In the past, the Trust has lightened the load for people in a number of ways. We provide financial help for people in times of need, such as homelessness, (rent in advance, rent arrears or mortgage arrears) essential utility arrears (gas, electricity, water, oil and council tax), funeral costs and support towards mobility aids for individuals with medical needs.
If you’ve been directly affected, or you’re an organisation or employer who knows of someone who may need support, the B&CE Charitable Trust is here to help.
Hardship grant eligibility criteria
Check whether you’re eligible to apply for a hardship grant from B&CE’s Charitable Trust.
- Rent in advance or deposit
- Rent or mortgage arrears
- Essential household bills (gas, electricity, water and council tax arrears)
- Funeral costs
- Entry level training construction courses only (we do not offer grants for NVQ or degree level courses
- Disability aids (for example mobility scooter, wheelchair, and stair lifts)
- Day-to-day living costs
- White goods
- Bankruptcy fee
- Flooring
- Debt relief orders
- Individual voluntary arrangement
- Loans, credit cards or overdrafts fees
- Car finance, MOT or repairs
- Carer fees
- Holidays
- Clothing
- Non-essential house maintenance
If you can prove that you’ve worked in construction, as a ‘tradesperson’, for at least 12 months (at any time within your employment history), you could be eligible.
A ‘tradesperson’ is someone who is or has been manually involved in the build of a project. For example:
- A grounds person working as a civil engineer on a project
- A labourer working on a site
- A painter and decorator
- A plant driver working on site as part of a construction build project
- A scaffolder
Other examples of tradesperson jobs are listed in the Construction Industry Joint Council agreement.
How to apply for a hardship grant
If you’d like to find out more about applying for a hardship grant or an occupational health grant, get in touch – we’ll be happy to help.
Call our Construction Worker Helpline on 0808 801 0372 (Freephone 8am-8pm, 7 days a week) or email us at charitabletrust@bandce.co.uk.
Grants for education and training
We offer two types of grants for education and training.
To get back into construction
If you’ve worked in construction for at least 12 months (at any time within your employment history) and been unemployed for a minimum of three months, you can apply for a grant of up to £500 to gain a qualification.
To retrain in another construction skill
If you’ve worked in construction for at least 12 months and need to take a fresh look at your construction skills due to an occupational health issue such as an illness or injury, the Trust can help with a grant of up to £750 for you to retrain.
If you can prove that you’ve worked in construction, as a ‘tradesperson’, for at least 12 months (at any time within your employment history), you could be eligible.
A ‘tradesperson’ is someone who is or has been manually involved in the build of a project. For example:
- A grounds person working as a civil engineer on a project
- A labourer working on a site
- A plant driver working on site as part of a construction build project
- A painter and decorator
- A scaffolder
Other examples of tradesperson jobs are listed in the Construction Industry Joint Council agreement.
How to apply for a grant for education or training
To find out how to apply for an education or training grant call our Construction Worker Helpline on 0808 801 0372 (Freephone 8am-8pm, 7 days a week) or email us at charitabletrust@bandce.co.uk.
Our Construction Worker Helpline
Need help with debt or money worries? Struggling with mental and physical health issues? Perhaps you’d like some guidance about housing and social welfare or some emotional support like counselling?
Our Construction Worker Helpline provides free support and guidance in times of need.
Call us in confidence today on: 0808 801 0372
Freephone 8am-8pm, 7 days a week.
Our Construction Worker Helpline
Our Construction Worker Helpline provides free support and guidance in times of need.
Call us in confidence today on: 0808 801 0372
Freephone 8am-8pm, 7 days a week.
Who we partner with »
We work closely with well-known organisations and the construction industry itself.Did you know?
- B&CE set up the Charitable Trust in 1991
- The Charitable Trust has paid out over £3.7m so far