Your household income may have reduced due to family members losing their employment due to COVID-19. In other situations the strain of lockdown may have caused other complex personal or domestic circumstances which may have led to financial worries.
What is the University doing to help?
In recognition of the difficulties employees may be dealing with, the University has set up a dedicated COVID-19 hardship fund to run alongside the existing Littlemore Trust– which is always available to help employees in times of financial need.
Who do I need to speak to?
You should contact the Head of Administration, or the HR Manager in your department, in confidence.
How do I apply?
Your department’s Head of Administration will help you to get the necessary information together and will usually make the application to the fund on your behalf. Should you prefer to do so yourself, you can send the details to covid19staffhelp@admin.ox.ac.uk, but please be aware that your Head of Administration will also be asked to send a letter of support on your behalf.
Applications need to include:
- Your name, department, grade, salary and length of service.
- A breakdown of household income and an overview of your expenditure.
- Sufficient detail to demonstrate the financial hardship being caused by the current pandemic. It is helpful if it can be confirmed that the eligibility for state benefits has already been explored.
What happens next?
Applications are considered centrally by the Littlemore Fund Management Board. If your application is successful you may receive a grant from the fund or, occasionally, an interest-free loan which is recoverable from your salary in equal instalments over a period of approximately 12 months.
Is there a fund for students facing financial difficulties?
Yes, the details of the fund for students can be found on our student website.
