Nabs launches cost of living crisis fund to help struggling ad workers

Rising consumer inflation, interest rates and energy prices, combined with stagnant wage growth in Britain, mean that many households are struggling with bills.

“A significant number of people in our industry will need to adjust how they prioritize their outgoings. Some may need to make difficult choices about how they manage and meet their basic needs,” said Lorraine Jennings-Creed, the director of wellbeing services and culture change at Nabs.

In response, Nabs is offering a one-off grant of £1,000 to industry professionals facing financial troubles who have less than £5,000 in savings. The grant will be available for applications over the next four months to help cover high energy costs over winter.

“As the support organization for our industry, Nabs wants to offer some practical and speedy help and that’s why we’ve reacted quickly by creating the Cost of Living Grants, which will be the first part of our Financial Wellbeing offer. We’re encouraging people to identify where they need help by reading the Cost of Living Grant criteria on our website or to contact us for an informal chat so that they can apply.

“We’ve been able to move really quickly on this and we hope that people will now come forward to access the help that we can offer them. We’re hugely grateful to everybody who donates to Nabs, as their generosity has made all of this possible,” said Jennings-Creed.

The move marks the first time the charity has offered such a grant. The charity also provides an advice line for those worried about meeting costs this winter.

Earlier this year, Nabs revealed that calls to its support lines relating to mental health issues had risen 15% in 2022, and that mental health accounted for almost 60% of all calls made to its helpline.