Kent Police Benevolent Fund

The Kent Police Benevolent Fund provides members with somewhere to turn in times of need. Such need might be of a financial nature such as long or short term debt issues, or a cash flow problem due some sudden unexpected expenditure, or it may be due to an injury (on or off duty) or some other unforeseen health issue affecting not only the member but also his/her spouse or partner, or their children. The Benevolent Fund committee can consider any circumstance where hardship or distress is being caused to members. They have complete discretion to assist in any way they feel is appropriate, which generally means we can consider a loan or more usually we can provide a grant to help overcome or mitigate the particular issue.

Membership of the Fund is open to all serving Police Officers and PSE’s and may be continued into retirement if they were a subscriber to the fund for a minimum period of two years immediately prior to retirement.

The primary membership benefits are outlined via this link (member benefits) but include contributions towards expenses incurred during periods of treatment/surgery at hospital, a grant towards a initial private medical consultation in cases of NHS delay, a contribution towards the cost of a private diagnostic scan and a death grant of £2500 payable to the members family upon his/her death, but which can also be paid to the member in the event that his/her partner/spouse dies first. Members who attend Flint House are also able to request a contribution from the fund towards their travel expenses.

The current cost of membership for serving Police officers is £3.60 per month, of which £2.61 is the actual contribution made to the fund, with the remaining 99p going to two police based charities, The Gurney Fund and the Police Dependants' Trust. The subscription rate for police pensioners is £2.80 with no change to the benefits available. Retired police officers over the age of 65 remain members of the Fund for life and whilst they remain eligible to the same benefits they enjoyed as serving officers or as a subscribing pensioner, they are not required to make any further contributions.

The cost of membership to the fund for Police Staff members is £2 per month. Membership is open to all serving staff members and the benefits they enjoy are identical for both police and staff members, with the one exception that in the event of the death of a PSE, or his/her spouse/partner, the death grant is payable only if the member of staff is still serving with Kent Police at the time of that death. PSE members who retire having been a subscriber for a minimum of two years at the time of retirement, will remain members of the fund for life but are not required to make any further contributions.

The benevolent will try to keep in touch with all retired members and widows/widowers each year by sending a Christmas card wherever they may be in the world. If a member or his/her spouse or partner passes away leaving behind any young children, we will provide each child with a Christmas grant until they reach the age of 18.

The only things we specifically cannot assist with is, private healthcare (with the couple of exceptions already mentioned) or legal fees.

We do have the facility to consider welfare loans in exceptional circumstances.

Our Benevolent fund staff Gary Sutton (Fund Secretary) and Debbie O’Neill (office administrator) are now home based, part time workers, so an email to office@kpbf.org.uk is the preferred and easiest way to contact them. However, should you need to speak to either Gary or Debbie in person please include your phone number and you will be contacted asap.

Still not convinced you need to be a member?

The nature of the matters for which our members contact the Benevolent Funds are invariably connected with personal finance, deaths, or serious health issues relating to themselves or their family members. They are therefore by definition personal and sensitive so we can only generalize about the things we have done to assist our members as these are simply not our stories to tell. As much as we can allude to tragic, sad and often completely unforeseen circumstances that affect our members, confidentiality has to always be paramount.

Occasionally however, some members who we have been able to support are willing to share their stories. The purpose in doing so is not an opportunity for the Funds to gloat about their benevolence, it is intended to highlight to those colleagues who have chosen not to join their respective fund, how unforeseen situations do arise and that sadly, bad things do happen to good people, and just how much difference a bit of financial help from the Benevolent Funds can make at these difficult times.

We are very grateful to anyone and everyone who has shared their story and contributed to our testimonials page.

If you are one of the people who we have been able to help over the years, and you would be willing to share your story for the benefit of others, whether it is something recent, or something from the past, every example is as valid now as it was then, so we would be very grateful if you would get in touch.

Donations

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so by emailing office@kpbf.org.uk, or by following this link, DONATE, or by using the adjacent QR code