August 2022 - Grief awareness and financial planning Grief is a natural response to loss and is the emotional suffering you feel when something, or someone you love, is taken away. It can stimulate a range of difficult emotions, from shock and anger, to disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness. You may experience it for a number of different reasons; maybe a loved one died, a relationship ended, or you lost your job. Other life changes, like chronic illness or moving into a new home, can also lead to grief.
What is grieving? Your feelings may happen in phases as you come to terms with your loss. You can’t control the process, but it’s helpful to know the reasons behind your feelings. All people experience grief differently. Though it is no longer considered the ideal way to think about grief, you may have heard of the stages of grief: Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance It is important to remember that everyone experiences these phases in their own way. You may go back and forth between them, or skip one or more stages altogether. Understanding Grief - Thursday 8th September 10.30-11.30am This is a session for anyone interested in expanding their understanding of grief and other kinds of loss (such as divorce, illness and other bereavements). During this session, the attendants will learn about what grief is, what the different types of grief are, how to recognise the symptoms and how to cope with a complicated or an unprocessed grief. Click here to register.
Cruse Bereavement Care Cruse help people through one of the most painful times in life, with bereavement support, information and campaigning. For more information on how to get support through Cruse, you can visit their website or call their helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Post-bereavement support and support with grief Cancer charity Macmillan understand there is no one type of support that suits everyone. Just as people have many different emotions, they will find different types of support helpful. More information on this can be found here. Talking to family and friends - Some people find it helpful to talk to family and friends about how they are feeling. You may talk regularly or just when you feel ready. Try to remember that the way you are feeling is normal, and that sharing your feelings with family and friends can help. Talking to health professionals - Sometimes, it is easier to talk to someone who is not part of your family or friendship group. There is support available to you after someone dies. It is important to ask for help or talk to your GP if you feel you are not coping. They may refer you to a counsellor or therapist who can help. For information, tools and links on many areas of health and wellbeing please click here to visit our My Barratt Benefits website. For any queries or suggestions, please contact handw@barrattplc.co.uk.
August 2022 - Grief awareness and financial planning Finding support groups - You may feel that only others who have experienced the death of a relative or friend can really understand how you are feeling. Your local hospice or hospital may run a bereavement support group, or have details of a local one. There are also bereavement groups on the Macmillan Online Community. They have pages for spouses and partners as well as family and friends. Talking to the person who has died - Even though your relative or friend has died, you may find it comforting to talk to them. Some people like to go to a special place to do this. This could be the cemetery or a place that has special memories. Others find it helpful to do this at home as they go about their day-to-day business. Writing down your feelings - Some people find that it helps to write down how they feel. Keeping a diary, journal, or blog can be a way of expressing your feelings without having to talk about them.
You can call Macmillan cancer support specialists for free through the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week 8am - 8pm. They can tell you more about counselling and services in your area.
Close Brothers - Financial planning for unexpected life events Life always brings surprises, some of them good, some of them not so good, and many may impact your financial wellbeing. That’s why it’s so important to plan, as best you can, for life’s unexpected events. These resources cover some of the more common events and the steps you can take to manage them financially. Visit Close Brothers Financial Education Hub for more information and support surrounding planning for the unexpected.
My Barratt Benefits Death In Service Every employee has a death in service benefit. Please visit your My Barratt Benefit platform for further details of your financial cover. Please ensure that you add in your beneficiary details for your Death In Service Benefit. You can check this by clicking on the My Benefits tab and click onto your Death In Service Benefit details. This is important to complete so that the Trustee can give every consideration to your wishes for any lump sum death benefit to be paid to, or for the benefit of, the people specified. Pension Beneficiary If you pay in to the Barratt Company pension with Scottish Widows or the auto enrolment scheme with The People’s Pension (B&CE), you should also ensure you update your beneficiary details with the pension provider directly. You can do this by logging in to your account, with either Scottish Widows here or The People’s Pension here.
What's coming in September? In September, we are focusing on Suicide Prevention Day (10 September). For information, tools and links on many areas of health and wellbeing please click here to visit our My Barratt Benefits website. For any queries or suggestions, please contact handw@barrattplc.co.uk.