The increase was agreed by NewstrAid’s Board of Trustees in response to ongoing cost of living increases and will take effect from August 2022.

NewstrAid, which has been in existence for over 180 years and counts Charles Dickens amongst its past presidents, provides regular beneficiaries with a welfare payment three times a year. Rates were last increased in 2017.

The charity said this latest increase aims to provide additional financial support to the charity’s most vulnerable beneficiaries who are facing constant hardship and struggling to cover ongoing everyday living costs for themselves and their family.

Neil Jagger, CEO for NewstrAid, said: “Our regular beneficiaries are finding it increasingly difficult to cover their weekly and monthly expenses and we are hearing from people who are having to decide which meal to skip in order to pay their bills. It was therefore essential that we reviewed the payment amount at this time and we are very grateful to the Board of Trustees for agreeing a 10% increase.”

This is not the first time that the charity has increased the financial support they provide in recent months. In November 2021 they increased their Winter Comfort Grant in response to the cuts in Universal Credit, and in February 2022 awarded a booster payment to help with the ongoing cost of living increases.

Anyone with a newstrade connection who is struggling to cope with the general cost of living increases should contact the NewstrAid welfare team on Freephone 0800 917 8616.