Practical ways we can support you through the cost of living crisis

The rising cost of living is affecting us all. In response to this crisis, we have gathered together all of the practical support on offer to both individual members and agencies/consultancies facing cost of living pressures. Some of these options have been available for a while, and others have been introduced recently. If you need assistance or you're concerned about your financial wellbeing, please take a look at how we can help you.

Financial Support

Membership payment breaks
If you are in financial difficulty, we may be able to freeze your membership payments for three months or more.
Email us to learn more.

New parents’ package
CIPR members on parental leave are eligible for a membership payment holiday to ease the financial burden of Statutory Parental Pay. New parents can also claim up to 60 discretionary CPD credits. 
Email us to learn more.

Part time fee reductions
Whether your're considering joining us or are already a member and have reduced your working hours, we may be able to help with a reduced membership fee (usually 50% off standard fees) depending on your circumstances.
Email us to learn more.

Retirement fee reductions
Significantly reduced fees are available for members who want to maintain their membership in retirement (£95 annual subscription).
Email us to learn more.

Spread your payments
If you haven’t already signed up to direct debit, you can spread the cost of membership over 12 months and save £20 per year. If you didn’t join by monthly direct debit and you’d like to switch, get in touch when your membership renewal invoice arrives. You need to do this 10 working days before your membership is due to renew.
Email us to learn more.

Tax relief on membership fees
Did you know that UK taxpayers can claim tax relief on professional membership fees? Visit the gov.uk website or speak to your accountant to find out more.

Iprovision: CIPR Benevolent Fund 
If you fall on hard times and don’t know where to turn, iprovision may be able to provide financial support. Set up by members for members, Iprovision has been helping PR professionals for more than 50 years. Iprovision relies entirely on the generosity of CIPR members.
www.cipr.co.uk/iprovision

Financial wellbeing 

Iprovision Mental Health Hotline
Money worries and mental health often go hand in hand, so the Iprovision Mental Health Hotline has a team of specialists available to provide financial support and counselling. The confidential hotline is run by leading provider Health Assured and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
www.cipr.co.uk/mentalhealthhotline

Webinars, resources and debt advice
In addition to the Mental Health Hotline, Health Assured has shared a range of resources to support CIPR members through the cost of living crisis. Watch webinars on Money Worries and Dealing with Debt, and access budgeting tools and financial guidance through Money Helper.
www.cipr.co.uk/mentalhealthhotline

Free training and events

Free training for members

In 2022 we introduced a free training package for members covering ethics, strategy and leadership to help you expand or brush up on your skills worth £500. In 2023 we updated the package to be free on-demand training on Equity, diversity and inclusion, with free on-demand Ethics training coming in 2024.
https://www.cipr.co.uk/freetraining

Shift to digital: fair access for all More of what we do is available fairly to all. CIPR Groups have taken many of their events virtual allowing you to network and rack up CPD points from anywhere in the world. CIPR Headquarters is now a digital-only operation allowing Chartership Assessment to be taken virtually from anywhere and we've also created a new App to help you get more from the membership community. Network, start and join discussions, and do more with us on the move. Search for 'CIPR Connect' in your App store.

We still provide face-to-face options for events that lend themselves to it well – for example, networking – but overall, this adds up to savings on hotels and travel for everyone, making access to the membership community and benefits fairer and more equal for all.

https://www.cipr.co.uk/CIPR/Events/Event_Calendar.aspx 
https://www.cipr.co.uk/CIPR/Membership/CIPR_App.aspx 
https://www.cipr.co.uk/chartered

Support for businesses and agencies

Help to Grow Scheme: supporting small businesses
In July 2022 The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) extended their 'Help to Grow' scheme to further support small businesses. Businesses with at least 1 employee can now receive £5,000 off digital e-commerce software, including discounts on 30 software solutions from 14 leading technology suppliers for eCommerce, digital accounting and CRM software.   
Help to Grow Scheme

Corporate Affiliate: now open to smaller agencies and consultancies
In 2022 we opened the Corporate Affiliate group membership scheme up to smaller teams of between 5 and 9 employees (previously the minimum was 10). Corporate Affiliate allows you to save on membership fees, develop your team and demonstrate that you operate to a globally recognised set of professional standards.
www.cipr.co.uk/corporate

Quarterly payments for smaller agencies
In 2022 we began offering the option for smaller agencies to pay their corporate affiliate subscription fees in quarterly instalments rather than a single annual up-front payment to help them to spread the cost.
www.cipr.co.uk/corporate

Contact us to find out more
Email our membership team to discuss any of the above options or if you have a query please contact the membership team on 00 44 (0)20 7631 6900 to learn more.