ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
Emergency Financial Assistance Fund
If you need help, ask.
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation offers several critical financial assistance programs for eligible SAG-AFTRA members including the Emergency Financial Assistance Fund, Senior Financial Crisis Fund, Catastrophic Health Fund, COBRA Assistance Fund and Health Premium Assistance Fund.
Members are advised to review all eligibility requirements before starting their application.
All applications are confidential and anonymous.
Emergency Financial Assistance
The Foundation offers several Emergency Financial Assistance Programs to eligible, dues-paying SAG-AFTRA members who are in urgent financial need due to an unexpected life crisis, such as a natural disaster, accident, health crisis creating a financial burden, loss of work due to an illness, loss of work due to a strike or production shut down, loss of housing due to an eviction, death in the family, or other emergency crisis situations described in IRS guidelines which pertain to providing emergency financial assistance grants to individuals.
Loss of work due to a production shutdown or strike alone does not qualify an individual for a grant under this program unless the member can show that the resulting loss of work has created an immediate financial crisis or hardship. The Foundation will review and assess applications, including financial information and documentation, to make an objective determination of each member’s financial need.
Given the unconventional nature of working in the performing arts, where work is never a guarantee, many artists must rely on second and third jobs for income, and we are unable to provide Emergency Financial Assistance Grants simply due to lack of work or unemployment. Also of note, the Foundation is restricted from paying union dues or credit card debt with these emergency assistance funds.
In the application for an Emergency Financial Assistance Grant, members must explain the nature of the life crisis leading to financial hardship, as succinctly as possible, and show proof of the cause of the financial hardship (e.g. a copy of a 30-day notice given by a landlord or proof of an accident that has occurred) as well as tax returns, bank statements, bills, and/or other documentation that shows immediate and urgent financial need.
Please DO NOT SEND PHOTOS of injuries, surgeries or accidents. Only official medical documents with diagnosis and treatment plans are acceptable for review and consideration.
Emergency Financial Assistance Grants are also available to dues-paying, eligible SAG-AFTRA members who have contracted COVID-19 and have lost pay or a job due to a positive diagnosis. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are unable to audition, you may also qualify.
Members must be able to show proof of a positive COVID-19 lab test (not a home test) or a letter from a doctor confirming the diagnosis as well as written notification from their employer stating they are unable to work and will not receive pay, or notification that they are unable to return to work due to testing positive for COVID-19.
All applications are confidential and anonymous.
Please read through ALL of the eligibility requirements before applying for an Emergency Financial Assistance Grant.
If you have questions, please email assistance@sagaftra.foundation. Please only use this general contact information if you have not been assigned to a case manager yet. If you have been assigned to a case manager already, please reach out to them directly. If you do not have their contact information, please be sure to reference them in your message so we can direct you to the right place.
In addition, the social services team at the Foundation has carefully created a list of additional emergency resources to help SAG-AFTRA members find more helpful resources and services during these difficult times. Please check back on a regular basis as the social services team continuously updates the resources list to meet your needs.
Senior Financial Crisis Fund
Legacy performers are invaluable to our industry, so the SAG-AFTRA Foundation created the Senior Financial Crisis Fund to help SAG-AFTRA members, ages 65 and older, who are experiencing unprecedented financial hardship due to an unexpected life crisis, such as an accident, catastrophic illness or injury, health crisis creating a financial burden, loss of housing due to an eviction, death in the family, natural disaster, or other emergency crisis situations covered under IRS guidelines which pertain to granting tax free monies to individuals.
In the application, members must explain the nature of the life crisis, as succinctly as possible, and show proof of the cause of the financial hardship, e.g. copy of 30 day notice given by landlord or proof of an accident that has occurred.
The Fund assists eligible SAG-AFTRA members, ages 65 and older, with basic living expenses such as mortgage or rent, food, utilities, medications and other basic needs.
In addition, the Fund offers trained professionals, services and resources to assist seniors in finding solutions for longer-term financial stability.
The Senior Financial Crisis Fund is supported in part by SAG-AFTRA, which made the initial contribution to seed the fund. We thank them for their donation.
Catastrophic Health Fund
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation Catastrophic Health Fund offers critical financial assistance to eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents facing unexpected catastrophic illnesses or injuries. To qualify for this fund, members must be enrolled in the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
This essential program is designed to help alleviate the financial burden of severe medical conditions, covering significant expenses such as high-cost treatments, surgeries, and long-term care. The fund aims to provide support during times of extreme financial strain caused by substantial medical bills.
COBRA Assistance Fund
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s COBRA Assistance Fund is a financial aid program designed to help eligible SAG-AFTRA members cover the costs associated with continuing their health insurance coverage under COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act). COBRA allows individuals who have lost their employer-sponsored health insurance to continue their coverage for a limited time, but it often comes with high premiums that can be challenging to afford.
The COBRA Assistance Fund aims to alleviate the financial burden of these premiums by providing financial assistance to members who are experiencing financial hardship. This support helps ensure that members can maintain their health insurance coverage during periods of unemployment or other financial difficulties, thus safeguarding their access to necessary medical care.
Eligibility for the fund requires members to demonstrate a need for financial support and to show that they are currently enrolled in COBRA coverage.
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Health Premium Assistance Fund is a program designed to provide financial support to SAG-AFTRA members who are experiencing difficulty affording their health insurance premiums. This fund aims to assist eligible members by covering or subsidizing their premium costs, helping to ensure they can maintain their health insurance coverage during periods of financial hardship.
The program typically offers support to individuals who are facing temporary economic challenges, including those who may be struggling due to unemployment, underemployment, or other financial difficulties. To qualify for assistance, members need to meet specific eligibility criteria, which can include demonstrating a need for financial support and providing proof of their current insurance premiums.
Eligibility Requirements and Application
Please note: Suspended Payment, Terminated, and Fee-Paying-Non-Members (Fi-Core) are NOT ELIGIBLE to receive emergency assistance from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. If you submit an application and fall into this category, your application will be denied.
Before filling out our online application, you must review the eligibility criteria and be prepared to digitize and upload all required documentation including any correspondence pertaining to the crisis which has caused your emergency financial situation (e.g., copies of bills, a letter from your doctor confirming an illness diagnosis, or other proof of a disaster or emergency). Applications without proper and sufficient documentation will be denied.
Please DO NOT SEND PHOTOS of injuries, surgeries or accidents. Only official medical documents with diagnosis and treatment plans are acceptable for review and consideration.
If you have questions, please email assistance@sagaftra.foundation.
The Following Eligibility Requirements Must be Met In Order to Apply for and Receive Financial Assistance
- You must be paid up on your SAG-AFTRA dues through October 2019; if you joined the union after October 2022, you must be currently paid up on your dues.
- You must provide a copy of your current SAG-AFTRA membership ID card or confirmation by SAG-AFTRA membership department – including end date.
- You must show documentation of an unexpected life crisis, such as a natural disaster, accident, catastrophic illness/injury, emergency medical bills not covered by insurance, house fire, eviction, evacuation, death in the family, loss of work due to a production shutdown or strike, or any other emergency circumstance described by IRS guidance pertaining to emergency hardship or disaster relief grants to individuals.
- If you have a medical or dental emergency you must include all documents pertaining to the diagnosed issue and accompanying bills.
- You will be required to show that you have an immediate financial need by providing bank statements, tax returns, bills, and other financial documentation.
- You will be required to upload your current lease or mortgage payment as well as copies of bills, unpaid and due. We cannot pay any credit card bills or union dues with this grant.
- Emergency Financial Assistance is available for people who are unable to pay their immediate basic living expenses (housing, food, utility bills or health care). If you can cover your expenses for the next few months, we ask that you wait to apply as we are processing the most urgent cases first.
Tips on Making your Application Process Easier
You should prepare your documents prior to filling out the online application. You will be required to upload your documents at the end of the online application.
If your documents are not already available electronically, here are some suggested steps to create an electronic file for your paper documents.
- Search your app store for a free PDF scanner (eg. Evernote Scannable). There are numerous free apps that are available to create electronic files for your paper documents; please use what works for you.
- Download the free app to your phone.
- When you are ready, open the app and scan documents.
- This will create a PDF of your files.
- You will need to create one PDF file for each of these categories:
• 1 file for union card(s) or proof of membership status, if applicable
• 1 file for last month’s bank statement & tax return
• 1 file for current lease, rent statement, mortgage/maintenance. (If unavailable, can be substituted with a utility/phone bill listing your current address.) - Copies of any bills that you are unable to pay and would use the grant to cover.
- Download IRS form W-9 (link provided in the application)
If you have questions or problems with submitting your application, please email assistance@sagaftra.foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm an active, dues-paying SAG-AFTRA member. Am I eligible to apply for emergency assistance during a strike?
Dues-paying members are eligible to apply but that does not guarantee you will be eligible to receive a grant. Members must demonstrate they have been directly impacted by the work stoppage, and demonstrate their financial need by submitting tax returns, bank statements, copies of bills to be paid, and a statement describing their financial need.
Emergency financial assistance is available for people who are unable to pay their immediate basic living expenses (housing, food, utility bills or health care). If you can cover your expenses for the next few months, we ask that you wait to apply.
What is the process for applying for Emergency Assistance?
You must first submit a completed application through the Foundation’s website. Our assistance department will reach out to you for an interview and then a committee will review all of the information and documents you provided to determine your eligibility to receive a grant. Please be sure to submit all required documentation with your application.
You will be notified by our staff if you are determined to be eligible for a grant. Processing grant payments normally takes one to two weeks but given the number of applicants and support staff available, it could take longer. When you speak to our social worker during the interview process they may be able to give you an idea of the time frame given the number of applications that are in the pipeline.
How much will I receive?
Every application will be reviewed on an individual basis, and grant amounts will be determined based on eligibility and critical need.
How quickly will I receive the emergency financial assistance?
We are working around the clock to meet the significant need as quickly as possible, and to help those who are in the greatest crisis of need first. We ask that you please be patient once you have submitted your application. Our goal is to turn eligible applications around within 2 weeks, if not sooner.
Will I have to pay it back?
You will not have to pay back an Emergency Financial Assistance Grant from the Foundation. An Emergency Financial Assistance Grant is intended as a gift; however, please consult a tax professional if you are uncertain whether any amounts paid to you will need to be reported on your personal income tax return.
If your circumstances change down the line, and you have the means to give back to your fellow SAG-AFTRA members in urgent need, we are always grateful for donations of support to the Foundation from former recipients of this vital program.
If you can help, give.
Support This Program
The Assistance Programs are free for SAG-AFTRA members, and made possible through gifts, grants and sponsorships.
Questions?
