The Application should be completed and a staff member will contact you regarding your situation. In instances where an employee is unable to complete the application electronically contact the Benevolent Fund office at 205-934-1581. A pre-screening will occur over the phone and, if appropriate, an interview will be scheduled. During the interview, you will be asked questions and provide required documentation related to your hardship and your financial need.

All decisions regarding EEAP are determined based on the information provided by the employee. The committee requests documentation of all income coming into the home, all expenses going out of the home, the emergency, how the emergency has affected the household finances, and current family resources.

Applicants must have a documented emergency situation beyond the employee's control that has caused a financial hardship. Examples of emergency situations which could be considered for assistance:

• Death in immediate family if accompanied by hardships such as loss of income or medical expenses
• Disaster such as fire, flood, tornado, etc.
• Safety from Domestic Violence
• Illness/disability 
• Loss of income for self or spouse
• Theft/loss of essential property

The following situations are not eligible for EEAP.

• Living beyond one's means.
• Any situation where the employee cannot demonstrate financial need.
• Common life occurrences that would not in and of themselves be qualifying events include routine car and home repairs/maintenance, car accidents, funeral expenses, divorce, legal fees, etc.
• Loss of employment at UAB does not qualify as you must be a UAB employee to qualify for EEAP.

If a situation does not meet the criteria for assistance from EEAP, a Community Resource List including many nonprofits supported by the Benevolent Fund is available. It is the employee's responsibility to contact the community programs to seek assistance.

If an employee is eligible to give to the Benevolent Fund, the employee is eligible to receive assistance from the Benevolent Fund. UAB Callahan Eye, UA Health Services Foundation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB Hospital and VIVA Health employees who are classified as either:

• Full time regular
• Full time temporary
• Part time regular
• Fellow (pay code 21 only) or resident
• Retirees/retired disabled (up to 90 days following retirement)
• Three 12 hour shifts per week

Ineligible employees include irregular employees, students, work study students, requisition employees, contract employees, and employees of contractors.

We do our best to maintain your confidentiality. The Program Coordinator completes an application for each case and gives it an identifying number to ensure confidentiality. At no time do the committee members have access to any identifying information about the employee who is requesting assistance. When necessary and with your permission, supervisors or the human resource office are contacted to discuss FMLA or leave time due to a qualifying emergency. Those involved in the process of generating the assistance award will have access to the employee’s name and award amount but no details regarding the hardship the employee is facing.

The UAB Benevolent Fund Council Sub-committee meets weekly to review the applications for assistance and to administer financial assistance. The committee makes decisions for assistance based on documented qualifying emergencies, employees' needs, and the Benevolent Fund bylaws, which govern the committee. The committee can approve a case, deny a case, or table a case to request additional information. Following the presentation of your case to the committee, the Program Coordinator will contact you regarding the outcome and inform you of next steps.

If the application is approved for assistance, the assistance will be payable to the employee in accordance with UAB policies. Awards are usually issued within 2-4 days after the committee approves a case. UAB payroll employees are paid via the same method they receive their UAB pay. Callahan, Viva, HSF and HS employees will receive a check via U.S. mail.

All employees receiving assistance are required to provide receipts showing that the money was used to pay the bills approved by the EEAP Committee. Additionally, financial counseling is required of all employees and documentation verifying completion is necessary. Failure to provide receipts or documentation of financial counseling will be taken into consideration if assistance is requested from EEAP in the future and may be reason for denial of future requests.

Yes, the IRS considers all assistance taxable income. At the end of the year, the employee will receive a 1099 form stating receipt of this income that the employee must claim on income taxes. This is in addition to the W-2 you receive from your employer.

All EEAP Committee decisions are final and there is not an appeals process. After an employee is denied assistance by the committee, the employee must wait six (6) months before reapplying. When making reapplication after the six months have passed, there must be a new qualifying emergency/hardship to be considered.

When the committee requests further information, the employee has two (2) weeks to provide the requested information, except for in unusual situations where more time is required. Following receipt of the requested information, the case will be presented to the committee at the next weekly meeting. The Program Coordinator will notify you of the outcome of your case following the meeting.

Monetary Limits:

• No more than $1,500 may be awarded to an employee during any 12-month period.
• No more than $4,500 or 3 annual maximums may be awarded to any employee during their lifetime.

Application Limits:

• No more than one application per employee and/or per crisis situation.
• May not reapply within 6 months of application whether approved or denied.
• May not reapply for 12 months if $1,500 limit has been reached.

Please reach out to the Benevolent Fund Office at 205-934-1581 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Further information and clarification can be obtained from the Benevolent Fund Office at 205-934-1581 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..