THT Hardship Fund Open
posted: 13/10/2010
The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) Hardship Fund has now opened. People with HIV who need fnancial support can now apply for up to £100. In mid June Crusaid's Hardship Fund merged with Terrence Higgins Trust and the hardship fund closed temporarily.
The replacement Hardship Fund service from Terrence Higgiins Trust will be fully working from April 2011. In the meantime George House Trust, which is the only approved referring agency in North West England, can apply to the THT hardship fund for grants of up to a maximum of £100 per person. People can't apply direct - they either need to apply through us, or use the Terrence Higgins Direct phone service: THT Direct on 0845 1221 200
If you live in NW England please speak to one of our service advisers for more details - 0161 274 4499. We can help in various ways, including through our own welfare fund, and with benefits and money advice.
Sir Nick Partridge, chief executive of THT, said:
“For years the Hardship Fund has been an important resource, making a real difference to the lives of people with HIV, and THT is fully committed to preserving its legacy. We are working hard to get the national fund fully operational by next spring, and in the meantime we hope our interim fund will continue to help those who need it most.”
A report released this week by THT and the National AIDS Trust said that one in six people diagnosed with HIV make use of the fund, and that the majority of beneficiaries are living in “extreme” poverty, on just 20 per cent of the average weekly income. Read more about this here
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HIV Hardship Fund ‘Soon’
posted: 05/07/2010
Following Crusaid’s merger last month with Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), THT have vowed to re-open the Crusaid HIV hardship fund "as soon as possible." The hardship fund provides vital financial assistance to people living with HIV.
After addressing thousands of people at Pride London's Trafalgar Square stage, Lisa Power - Corporate Head of Policy at THT - told PinkPaper "The most important thing I have to say today is that we are going to re-open the hardship fund as soon as we can, within the next few months. After that, we're going to make sure it has a long-term future. And that it helps people to help themselves.”
"We've just done a big research project with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which shows that older gay men with HIV are in far more poverty than their peers, so we know that there's a real issue out there. As people survive longer with HIV, it's not just about the pills keeping you well, but also the quality of your life".
When asked about the criticisms surrounding THT's recent merger with Crusaid, Lisa Power rebutted complaints that they are monopolising the HIV and STI community health sector. "We merge with people who approach us, which is what Crusaid did. The issue is about making sure services survive. We represent economies of scale. We represent a whole load of stuff that is available, which smaller organisations can't do alone."
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