BDA Benevolent Fund’s Christmas Appeal 2013 In the Bleak Mid-Winter…

 BDA Benevolent Fund’s Christmas Appeal 2013

In the Bleak Mid-Winter…

Christmas is considered a time of family gatherings, eating good food and sharing gifts. But for dentists and their families who are already struggling financially, the extra pressure the festive season brings can prove too much. 

Dentists who are in financial crisis often turn to the BDA Benevolent Fund to help them cope when they can no longer keep their households functioning on their own.

With the majority of these dentists surviving on state benefits, and many poverty-stricken, the winter months are particularly harsh. The average household energy bill has risen by £300 over the last three years to £1,420[1] and the cost of an average household’s annual food bill has also risen by more than £400 over the last ten years from £2,356 to £2,799[2]. With bills soaring like this, it often means some dentists have to make the difficult decision between feeding their families and heating their homes.

And for those whose finances are already stretched to the limit by rising bills and Christmas, the added cost of the GDC Annual Retention Fee ­– ­that has to be paid
by 31 December in order for them to remain registered for work – is often another major concern.

The BDA Benevolent Fund works hard throughout the festive season to help dentists and their families who have been financially crippled, whether that’s through illness, unemployment, bereavement or another event that has turned their world upside down. This support includes a Winter Fuel Grant, which is given to every dentist who is receiving regular assistance from the Fund.

Dr Ann Rockey, Chairman of the Fund, has seen first-hand throughout the year what measures dentists take to deal with their money troubles and what Christmas does to struggling families. She says, “Please consider your colleagues in need this Christmas. We all know what an expensive time of year it is with increased fuel bills, the ever-increasing costs of a supermarket shop, Christmas and the GDC Annual Retention Fee on top of all that. Every year we have requests for assistance from dentists in need, often already recipients of assistance from the Fund, who cannot afford to pay their ARF. In recent years there has been a threefold increase in the number of applicants who are in difficulties with their commissioning bodies and or the GDC. Sometimes they have such restrictive conditions placed upon their licence to practice that they are unable to find work, and without paying their ARF, they will be unable to work and support their families in the future.”

To date this year the Fund has received 20 new applications for help.  Most dentists received help by way of a one-off grant, a monthly grant towards living expenses
or a loan. The charity currently supports 17 families with children of school age on
a regular basis, also providing school holiday supplements and uniform grants[3].

Sarah* turned to the Fund after the sale of her practice in 2009 resulted in an unfair suspension. After losing her job, Sarah was left struggling to support her three children of school age and the mortgage on the house. She began working as a locum dentist in a hospital, but because her earnings had significantly dropped, she began to use her savings and credit cards for the family’s living expenses. It was when she realised she couldn’t continue on such a downward spiral that she turned to the Fund for help in 2010. While, the interest free loan offered Sarah and her family a lifeline, Christmas still remains a particularly difficult time of year for them.

Sarah says, “Christmas has been particularly hard for us. Last Christmas was a real struggle. It’s my eldest son’s 21^st birthday this year as well, so we will probably put whatever we can afford into his birthday, rather than into Christmas. It’s going to be
a hard one.”

Sarah admits that without the Fund’s help she may well have had to have her house repossessed resulting in her family being left without a home. She added, “I’m doing all I can at the moment to pay back the Fund and if I was to win the lottery tomorrow they would get a great big lump sum. I’m really thankful for all the help they have given me.”

Please will you spread a little festive cheer by making a special gift to your colleagues who will be struggling this Christmas?

To make a donation please go to www.benevolentfund.org.uk or send a cheque to ‘BDA Benevolent Fund’ 64, Wimpole Street, London W1G 8YS.

For more information about the BDA Benevolent Fund

call 020 7486 4994, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 or visit www.bdabenevolentfund.org.uk

All enquiries are considered in confidence.

Registered charity no. 208146