Who Do We Help?

The main categories that beneficiaries fall into are:

• Veterinary surgeons unable to work as a result of ill health
• Dependents of deceased veterinary surgeons
• Retired veterinary surgeons
• Veterinary surgeons and/or their dependents needing short-term assistance

What Sort of Help is Given?

• Payment of regular monthly grants
• Short-term loans to tide beneficiaries over times of crisis 
• Special gifts to help with the cost of items such as a stair lift
• The VBF owns four bungalows at Burton near Christchurch, Dorset which are available for deserving veterinary surgeons and their families

What If I Am A Veterinary Student?

We are not able to offer support to anyone before they have qualified and are on the RCVS register but the student finance section of this web site has information on possible sources of funding, advice on managing your financial situation and a budget planner.

What We Can’t Help With…

• The cost of studying veterinary medicine as a second degree
• Business or partnership debt
• The costs of mandatory training courses
• Indemnity insurance
• Private education
• Private medical care
• Financial support simply because someone is unemployed
• Repaying loans to family and friends
• Improvements and repairs to rented property

Applying for Help

To make an application for financial support from the VBF simply complete the VBF application form and return it to:

The Honorary Secretary
Veterinary Benevolent Fund,
7 Mansfield Street
London
W1G 9NQ

or email it to info@vetlife.org.uk.

If you have any questions or would prefer to have a blank application form posted to you, please call the VBF Administration Manager, Vanessa Kearns, on 020 7908 6385 or email info@vetlife.org.uk.

Once the form is returned it will be considered by the VBF Executive (three Officers of the Fund). They will check references where supplied and make an interim decision on the level of support, usually within ten days, and payment of any gift or grant awarded will commence shortly thereafter. For those in urgent need of help, an initial payment may be made immediately.

VBF Council (which includes the Executive) review the Executive's decisions on all applications and on the level of continuing support at an annual case review.  The VBF Appeals Procedure and Data Protection Policy are on the application form. Please don’t be too shy or too proud to seek our help. At the moment VBF is helping about 130 people (beneficiaries and their dependants) and many of them may well have had similar difficulties to your own. Please be assured that all applications are dealt with in strict confidence and with the utmost discretion.

Remember that VBF is the profession’s own charity and is entirely devoted to vets helping their colleagues and families in need. You do not have to be a supporter to qualify for our help.