
Financial Assistance
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.
This page gives advice on managing your money during your foundation training year, including tips on how to budget for known and unknown costs.
Receiving a salary will be a great feeling and after four years of student living it may be tempting to treat yourself, which is great – after all, you have worked hard. However, you should remember that you also need to think about the long term and consider how you are going to budget for the foundation year and beyond. There are some costs that are predictable, and you will need to plan your budget accordingly. These include:
There are also additional costs that will depend on what you decide to prioritise during your foundation year, and costs for when you first begin work as a newly qualified pharmacist. These include:
As a trainee, you will need to plan for the time when you receive your final salary payment at the end of your placement, through sitting the assessment, registering as a pharmacist, starting work and receiving your first salary. Budgeting is not only about ensuring there are enough funds to cover day to day costs. It is about having a little money set aside for unexpected costs such as car repairs, or dental treatment.
Budgeting is not about depriving yourself; it is about taking control and being proactive. In short, it’s making sure that you are spending less than you are bringing in and planning for both the short and long-term. Stop and think before entering into a tenancy or car agreement, ask yourself: can I afford to make these monthly payments if my income should drop or stop? The Money Helper website has budgeting tools to help people manage their finances. These include a:-
You may be without income, for example:-
If you are available for work and actively seeking work you may be entitled to out of work benefits such as Universal Credit (UC). You may also be entitled to housing benefit for help with rent and council tax support. It is important to start a claim as quickly as possible as once entitlement to benefit has been established, the benefit will be payable from the point when the claim was started. If you are not a British citizen you may not be entitled to claim benefit and we suggest you seek advice from a benefits adviser.
A claim for UC can be made online. For full details, see the government website. People who cannot make a claim online should contact their local Jobcentre Plus office for further assistance. Pharmacist Support can also refer you to a specialist Citizens Advice adviser for free and confidential telephone or email advice. Alternatively, your local Citizens Advice Bureau can help with information on benefit entitlement.
Pharmacist Support may be able to provide financial assistance to foundation trainees towards essential expenditure in times of hardship.
To meet our eligibility criteria you must be either:
If you are currently experiencing hardship, do not hesitate to contact us. We can help you check your eligibility criteria and assess whether an application for financial assistance is the best route and discuss what other support might be available for you. You can e-mail us at info@pharmacistsupport.org, or call us on 0808 168 2233.
Find out more about applying for a grant from us
If you are facing unmanageable debts and cannot afford to make the repayments, interest and charges could make the debt increase. Non-payment of debt will affect your credit rating and may affect your ability to obtain credit in the future. Pharmacist Support can provide free and confidential advice from a Citizens Advice Bureau specialist debt adviser. The adviser can help with managing debt. For example, if you have multiple debts and are facing pressure from creditors, the adviser can help with negotiating with creditors and rescheduling payments. If you would like debt advice you can e-mail us at info@pharmacistsupport.org, or call us on 0808 168 2233.
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.
If you are a pharmacist, trainee or pharmacy student and are experiencing hardship, we may be able to provide you with financial assistance towards essential expenditure. We've also compiled a list of alternative sources for funding.
Worried about paying your energy bills this winter? Find out more about the help you can get towards covering the cost of your energy bills in the coming year.