Together we stay stronger Financial wellbeing It may feel that what is going on in the world is out of your control, but you can put yourself in control of your finances, which for many people is or will be the main source of worry. A recent survey of 2,002 UK adults by Opinium Research in May, looked at the effects of COVID-19 and showed that: 25% are more stressed about money than usual 19% have lost sleep over money since the crisis began 16% say it is negatively affecting relationships with friends and family Worrying alone about money can have a negative impact on your mental health. You may feel that you are under pressure to provide for your family, your partner, paying the mortgage or rent. Talking to your partner, family, friends, work colleagues as well as helplines will give others the chance to understand the situation, offer help and reduce your worrying. There is a wide range of professional support services you can access and speak to someone.
Reach out for free and confidential help and advice Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) If you are worried about the impact on your financial wellbeing, don’t forget our Employee Assistance Programme with Unum Lifeworks. Their website offers guidance on any money concerns you may have (log in details - User ID: unum Password: lifeworks), or if you wish to talk to someone confidentially then please call 0800 048 2702.
Construction Industry Helpline (CIH) & App The CIH is managed and funded by the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity. You can call the helpline 24/7 in confidence on 0345 605 1956. It is a charitable service funded by the industry, for the industry and provides:
Emergency financial aid to construction families in crisis Advice on occupational health and mental wellbeing Support on legal, tax and debt management matters The CIH also have an app with information, advice and guidance about how people can relieve the long term effects of stress, anxiety or depression as well as providing access to other areas of support such as anger management, drug and alcohol dependency, debt management, legal advice, and emergency financial aid. Key support areas include: Mental wellbeing – covering anxiety, depression, anger, suicidal thoughts, sleep and building resilience Physical wellbeing – covering aches and pains, nutrition, weight management, cancer, alcohol and drug addiction Financial wellbeing – covering budgeting, debt management, tax and legal advice, retirement planning and emergency financial aid Each section of the app offers learnings about a variety of conditions or issues, self-assessment tools, coping strategies and referral pathways to access expert advice and support. The app is free and simple to use and also accesses a major researched library of resources on a vast array of topics and brings them all together in one place. The ‘get help’ function is particularly useful as the built in geo-locator signposts users to support from both national help centres and local support services, specific to the subject being investigated. Visit their website for further information about the app.