IOSH
Emergency financial support
The IOSH Benevolent Fund provides support to members experiencing financial hardship. We help IOSH members, their dependants and former employees through difficult times.
When we can help
The fund gives one‑off grants to help with hardship needs caused by:
- illness or disability
- unemployment or redundancy
- bereavement
- caring responsibilities
- extreme weather or other unexpected crises.
Who can apply
You are eligible if you are:
- a current or former IOSH member with at least one year of paid membership
- a dependant of a current or former IOSH member
- a former IOSH employee with at least one year of continuous service.
Dependants include spouses, children, parents, siblings or anyone who relies on you for care.
What the fund can support
These are examples of the support available. Each application is assessed individually.
- Mobility aids or specialist equipment
- Household appliances, such as fridges and washing machines, following breakdown
- Essential home repairs
- Funeral costs
- Car repairs for essential travel
- Home working IT equipment for medical need
- Non-health and safety training for career change due to health or other hardship
- IOSH membership, training or qualifications – help with membership costs is available separately from IOSH in some circumstances
- Repaying debts
- Legal fees or fines
- Private healthcare or school fees
- House purchases or mortgages
- General living expenses or holidays
- University fees where other bursaries exist
- Loans of any kind
If you are struggling with debt, we recommend seeking support from trusted, free advice services such Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline.
Check before applying
Grants are one-off payments and not ongoing income replacement. If you receive means-tested benefits, we recommend checking if a one-off grant will affect your benefits entitlement.
How to apply
Use our online application form. You’ll need to outline your situation and the support you need. You may need to provide evidence of hardship (for example, benefits details or medical information, proof of IOSH membership or employment and quotes for requested items).
Support with your application
If you need help, please email governance@iosh.com.
What happens next?
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Confirmation
We’ll let you know within 10 working days if your application has met the eligibility criteria.
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Documents
If eligible, you may need to provide extra documents. This depends on your circumstances.
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Review
The fund trustees review your application. This usually takes four to six weeks but can take longer if further information is needed.
Support the fund
Frequently asked questions
Is the fund a registered charity?
Yes, the IOSH Benevolent Fund is a registered UK charity (number 1090484).
The fund is run by its trustees, who are unpaid volunteers. The trustees oversee the fund and make decisions on grant awards.
Administration is carried out by IOSH’s Governance team, who are not paid by the fund.
Will my grant application be kept confidential?
All applications are handled confidentially by the IOSH Governance team.
Personal data is stored securely and processed in line with UK’s data protection legislation (GDPR).
Trustees only see anonymised applications – no personal details are shared with them.
I've previously made an application for support, can I apply again?
Yes, all applications are assessed case-by-case.
Is there any other financial support available from IOSH?
Yes, in some circumstances IOSH members can apply for help with membership costs and upgrade routes.
There is also a student bursary to support Student Members during their studies.
How are donations used?
The fund trustees are unpaid volunteers. This means 100 per cent of all donations go directly towards grants for applicants.