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Disability Grant
Benefit Description
$250 payment to the account of a Union Plus Credit Cardholder - plus up to $2,000 based on lost income -- for union members who have experienced a significant loss of income due to a long-term illness or recent prolonged disability within the past six months.
Requirements
- You must be a union member or union retiree.
- You must be a Union Plus Credit Card holder for at least one year.
- Your account must be in good standing – in other words, your payments must be up-to-date.
- You are out of work due to a recent illness or disability that has kept you out of work for at least 90 days.
- You must have experienced a loss of 25% or more of household income due to the illness or disability within the past 6 months.
How to apply
- Collect the following:
- Pay stubs showing income for two full pay periods prior to date of disability (or W2 form from last year)
- Proof of disability such as evidence of disability income, physician’s statements or work status reports
- Proof of disability income you are receiving now; or documentation that you are on leave without pay
- Complete the online application form
- Please allow 4-5 weeks for application processing. You will notifed by mail when your application has been approved or denied.
- If approved for the grant, you will receive a check of up to $2,000 in the postal mail and a $250 payment will be made directly to your Union Plus Credit Card account. Please be sure to continue making your credit card minimum payments until your application is processed and the $250 grant posts to your account. To check your balance, you can call the Union Plus Credit Card at 1-800-622-2580 or check your account online at www.unionpluscard.com.
Print the online application PDF, sign and mail all required documentation to:
ATTN: Union SAFE Disability Grants
Union Privilege
1125 15th St., NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
How grants have helped union cardholders
IATSE credit card a “lifesaver” for injured member
Kevin Bacon, Carlos Santana, Paul Newman, Jewel, Quincy Jones, Kevin Spacey, Alec Baldwin and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. IATSE Local 798 member and makeup artist Maria Scali worked on all of these famous faces and many more. But since a debilitating injury put her out of work in February 2006, another face has become even more important to her: the one on her IATSE Union Plus Credit Card.
After the Manhattan resident’s “painting hand” was badly injured in a car accident, the Union Plus Credit Card’s disability grants came through with a cash grant and a credit to her account of $2,250. Union members like Scali who have lost income due to a recent illness or disability have access to financial help thanks to a unique benefit that comes — at no cost — with every Union Plus Credit Card.
Scali “still can’t believe how easy and fast it was” to get a $2,000 grant and an additional $250 to lower her credit card balance last summer, when she was in a serious financial squeeze. Already quite pleased with the Union Plus Credit Card she has carried for a decade because “the interest rates are great,” she read the information about the Lifeline Trust that arrived with her monthly statement, called, applied, and got her money quickly.
“I’ve been dealing with all sorts of bureaucratic stalling and lots of red tape—including with other credit card companies from whom I bought insurance,” says Scali, who is still undergoing treatment and hopes to be back at work soon. “There were hassles with everyone else, but the response from Union Plus was unbelievable. It was so easy and so simple and it was a lifesaver.”
“What I’d really like to do is cancel all my other credit cards and transfer the balances to Union Plus,” she adds.
Grant helps Union Plus cardholder facing disability hardship
Frank Voce Jr., a member of Painters (IUPAT) Local 1269, was positive there was a catch somewhere in the fine print. But he learned — much to his delight — that his union credit card really is different and would come to his aid.
When Voce, of Quakertown, PA, was forced to go on disability due to a back injury, the Union Plus Credit Card’s disability grant provided him with cash, a credit to his account and a lower interest rate.
Voce says he “was amazed and surprised” when Union Plus came through with a disability grant. This unique benefit has already provided more than $64,000 to union cardholders in one-time grants ranging from $750 to $2,250. The money does not have to be repaid.
The Union Plus Disability Grants were established by Union Privilege and is funded by HSBC Bank Nevada, N.A., the company that issues your Union Plus Credit Card.
“It was one of the few times in my life that a big financial institution actually came through with what they promised,” says Voce. “I’m sure glad I carry a Union Plus Credit Card.”
