Emergency Assistance Fund 

The Middle Temple is aware that many of its members will be in financial difficulties as a result of the current public health crisis and will do what it can to help alleviate hardship. In these exceptional circumstances, the Inn has created The Emergency Assistance Fund, which is larger than the usual pupil support and hardship fund and available to a larger category of applicants.

Currently, barristers who have held a brief are eligible to apply to the Bar Benevolent Association (BBA) for support, see https://www.the-bba.com/application

Additionally, under the Middle Temple Emergency Assistance Fund, members of the Middle Temple who are unable to access financial support from the BBA may apply to the Inn in cases of serious unexpected hardship if they are:

• Student members of the Inn who are currently on a GDL or BPTC; or
• Members who are currently in pupillage and have not held a brief; or
• Members who have pupillage arranged (including where a pupillage has been deferred); or
• Members of under 2 years Call who are actively seeking pupillage.

Once the number and level of applications become clearer, those eligibility criteria will be subject to review and may be broadened. 

It is not possible to define in advance every situation which may qualify, but an application to the Emergency Assistance Award would be appropriate in cases where an applicant is suffering hardship as a result of the loss of income as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and in cases such as the drying up of expected funds because of the illness of the applicant, or the death, illness or loss of employment of a breadwinner: cases which might loosely be described as an unexpected catastrophe. Such developments are in principle unforeseen, but it is appreciated that they are not necessarily sudden.

The awards are not intended to deal with the historic debts, however large, which many students now have by the end of their academic and professional studies, or with the shortfall in funding by chambers in the rare cases where unfunded pupillages are permitted. They are not a supplement or substitute for an Inn scholarship.

To make an application, please download and complete the form below and email it to the Inn, accompanied by a full curriculum vitae. In the nature of these awards, there is no closing date for applications: the committee meets to consider applications from time to time.