University of Manchester UCU Hardship Fund

Sort code: 60 83 01

Account number: 20392565

Terms and Conditions

Please note that the following Terms and Conditions may change in the light of the amount of money available in the fund plus the number and level of claims.

The University of Manchester UCU (UMUCU) local hardship fund will be used to support members taking industrial action.

The purpose of the fund is to enable the branch to alleviate hardship.

Examples of hardship include:

• Being low-paid (e.g. small fractional contract or hourly-paid equivalent to only a small fraction)
• The industrial action disproportionately affects you (e.g. strike days fall on the only day(s) you work; they’re the day(s) you work most.
• Pay lost due to industrial action is compounded by irreversible childcare costs
• You’re an international member repaying visa loans to the university
• Pay lost compounds particular financial difficulties.

The UMUCU hardship fund will, as a general rule, only make payments for income lost during days for which you cannot apply to the UCU national Fighting Fund. Payments for earlier days will only be made in exceptional circumstances, for example when payment is needed very quickly (please note that the national Fighting Fund can also prioritise payments in special circumstances).

Claims from lower paid members and those on insecure contracts will be prioritised.

Where possible, claims should be supported by proof of loss of earnings in the form of PDF of a payslip showing strike deductions. If your payslip does not clearly demonstrate loss of earnings, we suggest that you provide some or all of the following: a copy of your contract, correspondence concerning work (such as marking) to be undertaken at a particular time, any evidence of marking offered, information on marking that you took on last year for comparison, your timetable or a letter/email from the employer setting out your teaching times, or informing you of cancelled classes, any form or schedule which you completed in order to receive payment for the relevant period of industrial action etc. We will also need to know the rate of pay which you were to receive for those hours. If possible, please provide a recent pay slip for a period unaffected by industrial action for comparison. If you have any questions regarding evidence, please contact ucu@manchester.ac.uk.

Members should submit the claim as soon as possible following loss of pay, and no later than three months of the date of loss of pay (or the date at which you become aware of the loss).

Claims from members who are in arrears of subscriptions or are not paying the correct level of subscription based on their earnings will not be accepted.

Members of the UMUCU Executive Committee will administer the hardship fund with reference to UCU Guidance. Cases of uncertainty or dispute will be referred to the Branch President and Secretary. All information provided with an application will be treated as strictly confidential.

The University of Manchester UCU is grateful to all those who have contributed to the hardship fund.