Introduction
The Benevolent Fund was established by the British Association of Former United Nations Civil Servants (BAFUNCS) to help former employees of the United Nations system and their spouses and dependants in cases of need, hardship or distress. The association is British and principally assists those living in the UK. The Fund is a Registered Charity No. 297524.
Applications for grants or loans are considered by the Trustees of the Benevolent Fund, who aim to provide a prompt response. All requests are treated in utmost confidence. Given the variety of types of UN employment available , such as staff contracts, special service agreements and consultancies, the Trustees have broad discretion in determining eligibility.
The Trustees are able to offer financial assistance to meet a wide range of needs and a list of the typical categories of requests that are considered is given in the BAFUNCS Benevolent Fund flyer at https://bafuncs.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BBF-Flyer-updated-March-2019.pdf. The fund can only consider requests for one-off payments and is unable to cover on-going costs. Information on some sources of longer-term support is given at the end of the document.
Prefer to download a paper form?
The form below provides an online process to submit your application, but if you prefer to print off a form, complete it manually and post it, please click this link to download the application form, and this link to download the Guideline Notes.
People who have previously worked for the UN system, as well as their spouses and dependants are eligible to receive support from the Benevolent Fund. If the applicant is a spouse or dependant they should provide information about the former UN employee under sections 2—4 and give that person’s name in section 6. Some scenarios are provided towards the end of this document to assist in completing the form.
When making an application please provide as much information and supporting documentation as possible to assist the Trustees in making their decision about the request.
If you have been in contact with a BAFUNCS Regional Member Support Advisor you can ask them to support your application, but you are free to apply on your own.
Helpful notes are supplied on the right hand side of the page and referenced in relevant questions.
- UN former employee is applying for themselves: they are the beneficiary and complete the whole form with their information, and sign it.
- UN former employee is applying for support for a spouse/dependant because the applicant is unable to complete the form themselves: the UN former employee completes section 1 with their spouse/dependant’s personal details but completes sections 2—4 on their own behalf. In section 6 they give their name. In section 9 they sign the form indicating that this is on behalf of the applicant and give their own contact details.
- Spouse or dependant is applying for themselves: they complete the whole form and sign it, but provide information about the UN former employee in sections 2—4 and give that person’s name in section 6.
- Someone else is completing the form on behalf of a UN former employee, their spouse or dependant because of incapacity: they complete section 1 with details of the beneficiary and sections 2—4 with details of the UN former employee. In section 6 they indicate the relationship of the applicant to the UN former employee and give the name of the UN former employee if that person is not the beneficiary. In section 9, the person completing the form signs it and indicates that it is on the applicant’s behalf. They indicate their relationship to the applicant e.g. BAFUNCS regional member support advisor, carer, holder of power of attorney, and give their contact details.
Benefits related to long term illness and/or disability include the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for those under retirement age, while Attendance Allowance may be awarded to those who have reached retirement age. Carer’s Allowance may be available to a person providing assistance to someone needing help with daily living tasks who is in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
Social Services will assist with the supply of some items or modifications to the home, but it is acknowledged that these are often discretionary awards and vary from county to county. An application for a needs assessment is the first step in this process.
Information on the range of state benefits available is on the UK government website (www.gov.uk). Assistance to complete application forms for state benefits is available from organizations such as Age UK or Citizens Advice. Links to these and other sources are provided in Information Note 7 Member Support on the BAFUNCS website at https://bafuncs.org/member-support-welfare/.
If you have a UN pension, the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund may be able to help through its Emergency Fund. This provides financial assistance for beneficiaries who have worked primarily for the UN, who are in receipt of a small pension, and are facing temporary hardship. It does not give loans. Full information is on the Fund's website at
Personal details are needed to enable further communication about the application. Please provide details of the person for whom the grant or loan is intended, i.e. the beneficiary. As a minimum, the name, date of birth and address should be provided but provision of an email address and/or telephone number would be very helpful.
Please give as much information as you can about employment in the United Nations (UN) System to enable the Trustees to assess the application speedily. This includes the UN agencies that the former UN employee worked for and the dates, as well as the type of employment, e.g. staff member, contractor, consultant. Supporting information such as participation in the UN Joint Staff Pension Scheme should also be given. Provision of documentary evidence of employment will expedite the application.
Relevant information could include membership of BAFUNCS, maintenance of a home in the UK, spouse or dependants living in the UK.
An interest-free loan may be requested if it is anticipated that payment will be met from other sources at a later date, usually within one year of the loan. If this is not the case, then you should apply for a grant.
Former UN employees, their spouse and dependants are eligible to receive support from the Benevolent Fund. If the beneficiary is a spouse or dependant please give the name of the former UN employee.
Please provide an estimate of any costs associated with this request, including relevant documentation if available. If payment has already been made then please provide invoices and proof of payment.
If the grant or loan relates to the purchase of an item of equipment or a modification to your home, a description of the problems you experience is helpful.
If the application relates to the use of a service or disability aids then specify the need, e.g. for physiotherapy or for a taxi to attend hospital appointments. Give examples of difficulty in personal tasks such as bathing or showering; going up or downstairs; inability to walk a certain distance. Remember to indicate how often you need the service and the length of time it is needed for.
The form should be signed and dated by the applicant, i.e. the beneficiary. If the form is being completed by someone other than the beneficiary, e.g. because of incapacity, then the person signing should indicate that they are signing on the applicant’s behalf. They should also print their name and explain their relationship to the applicant, e.g. spouse/partner, family member, carer, as well as providing contact details.
If you have been in contact with your BAFUNCS Regional Member Support Advisor you can ask them to support your application but this is not essential. You are free to make this application on your own.