Finances
Here you will find information and guidance on how to manage your money and any debts you may have, and ways to find funding, including from Pharmacist Support, should you need financial assistance.
Our Financial Assistance is here to help you manage your money worries.
We give a range of support to pharmacists and their families, former pharmacists, trainees, and students who are facing financial difficulties due to unexpected hardship*, for example ill health, unemployment, bereavement, care costs and unexpected events. You can find more information about the types of financial assistance we offer further down on this page.
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Grants for unexpected hardship
Pharmacist Support gave me a grant that helped with my debts, referred me onto a specialist debt advisor, and provided me with much needed disability aids to help manage my bed-sores. My life would be so much more difficult without Pharmacist Support. Their help is invaluable, financial, practical and, best of all, reassuring.Ewan, Pharmacist Support beneficiary
Grants for unexpected hardship
These are grants for pharmacists, former pharmacists, and their dependents (please read the eligibility criteria and guidance notes for clarification).
Help with a specific one-off cost, for example, an unexpected winter fuel bill or essential minor household repair. Assistance to support mental or physical quality of life, for example, for respite care, therapy or the purchase of an aid or adaptation. Support for people struggling to manage on a very low income, for example, a top up towards care home fees or help for a pharmacist unable to work because of serious illness.
Grants for trainees
Trainees facing unexpected hardship can apply for up to £3,000 during their GPhC approved placement, or whilst waiting to sit the assessment (evidence of application to sit is required).
Grants for students
Students can apply for a grant of up to £1,500 per academic year. You must be able to demonstrate that you’re experiencing unexpected hardship during the academic year due to unforeseen circumstances such as ill health, bereavement, or sudden loss of income through no fault of your own. Payments cannot be made for tuition fees and we are unable to consider financial support with retrospective financial difficulty. You can put in an application using our online application portal. Please note: applications can only be considered for students once enrolled for the academic year and up to the end of the second semester. We do not provide financial support during the Summer break.
Find out more about funding for students
Before you apply
You are eligible if you are a:
- Pharmacist who is or has been registered with the GPhC or the RPS
- Widow/widower or former long term partner of a pharmacist – please see definition of dependant as below
- Dependant of a pharmacist – please see eligibility criteria for clarification
- Trainee Pharmacist
- Pharmacy or OSPAP Student
We are unable to consider applications from:
- Those who have failed the GPhC assessment three times
- Those who meet our eligibility criteria but are living outside of GB
- Pharmacy Technicians
If you have not done so already, it may be helpful to read the eligibility criteria and guidance notes, before deciding to complete a grant application form.
Applications for financial assistance are assessed on a case by case basis and on the level of income against the level of essential outgoings. There needs to be evidence of financial hardship or potential hardship and we may need to ask you for additional information to clarify your situation further. Savings will be taken into account in full when assessing the financial need. For annual beneficiaries, we may disregard some savings.
*Individuals must be able to demonstrate that they meet our eligibility criteria to receive financial support. Any grant provided by the Charity is done so at the discretion of the Charity’s Trustees and there is no statutory or other right for an individual to receive a grant.
How to apply
To apply for financial assistance, you must register to use our secure online grants portal. Once you have set up your account, up loaded required supporting documents and submitted your online application, you will be able to check your application’s progress.
Once we have all the information we need we endeavour to make a decision within 14 working days.
Go to the online grants portal
Contact us directly
If you are having difficulty using the online grants portal or if you need help filling in the application form, please email info@pharmacistsupport.org for further assistance.
Students going into their final year of study can apply for a charitable bursary
On this page you will find information about the different types of financial support we offer to pharmacy students, trainees, pharmacists, former pharmacists and their families.
Pharmacist Support’s National Student Bursary Scheme
Once a year the charity opens its national bursary scheme to all fully accredited pharmacy schools in Great Britain.
3rd year (or 4th year if undertaking a 5 year sandwich degree) MPharm students facing unexpected adversity can apply and successful applicants can receive a bursary of either £3,000 or £5,000.
To apply students must demonstrate outstanding and exceptional qualities to overcome an ongoing adversity, financial hardship, an endorsed expectation by their university of a positive contribution to pharmacy in Great Britain and sound academic performance.
Find out more about our bursary scheme
Further financial support
We also have lots of information on our website about how to find alternative funding. Additionally, our Specialist Advice service may be able to support you to manage debts and secure benefits entitlement. If you are unsure whether an application for financial assistance is the best route, you can contact us to find out about what other support might be available.
