Financial Wellbeing on the Frontline: Supporting Staff Through Cost and Workforce Pressures
One in three frontline workers are financially excluded, and the consequences reach far beyond personal stress. Financial worry drives sickness absence, reduces focus and pushes staff towards employers who offer better support. In this session from the Connected Health & Care Summit 2026, Emma Hall from Stream presents the evidence for why financial wellbeing matters, walks through the practical toolkit that Stream offers health and care organisations, and introduces Loop Rewards, a free rewards platform now live in the Loop app for organisations using both Loop and Stream.
Watch how Stream and RLDatix are supporting financial wellbeing for health and care workers through earned wage access, savings, affordable credit and Loop Rewards, with real impact data and audience discussion.
What the session covers and the impact so far
This session presents the case for financial wellbeing as a workforce priority, introduces Stream’s toolkit and launches Loop Rewards to the summit audience. The headline figures presented in the session include:
- Over £80 million saved across Stream’s health and care employees
- 91% of Stream users feel happier about their employer. 76% feel less stressed. 80% feel more in control of their money
- 65% of Stream members save, and one in three of those are saving for the first time in their lives
- 13% higher shift uptake and 40% reduction in payroll queries across all industries using Stream
- Loop Rewards is now live, offering discounts from over 400 brands directly in the Loop app, free for organisations and employees
- Stream is live across almost 400 health and care organisations, reaching 1.2 million employees, with 450,000 actively using the platform
The problem and how Stream’s toolkit addresses it
Emma Hall opens with the data. The session cites 61% of workers have taken four or more sick days due to financial stress. 57% say their mental health has declined because of money worries. 30% could not handle a £300 unexpected bill. 73% of financially stressed employees would move to an employer that takes financial wellbeing more seriously. And the session references research suggesting that financial stress can affect cognitive performance, with a reported impact of 13 IQ points.
Stream’s toolkit follows the NEST Insight Financial Wellbeing Framework and is structured around three stages. Improving resilience today through earnings visibility, earned wage access, benefits checking and rewards. Planning for the future through FSCS-protected savings at 3.8% interest paid daily, affordable credit replacing lenders charging up to 99% APR, and a recently launched financial coach. And building long-term security through interactive learning and employer dashboards that track business impact and engagement.
Loop Rewards, what it means for organisations and who this is relevant to
Loop Rewards, powered by Stream, is now live in the Loop app for organisations that offer both Loop and Stream. It provides access to discounts from over 400 brands, personalised birthday offers and end-of-month perks. It is free for employees and employers, requires no new app, no subscription and no additional integration. Employees without a Stream account can still browse and redeem rewards. For organisations, it can simply be switched on.
The session includes a co-creation video featuring health and care professionals who tested Loop Rewards. Their feedback highlights that the discounts are competitive, comparable to or better than existing NHS discount schemes, and the integration with Loop makes it easy to use. One staff member described it as “a little win because I feel like I’m saving something each time.”
An audience member from Northumbria shared that their trust’s employees had collectively saved just under £1.8 million through Stream, and that the platform was driving engagement with bank shift uptake and financial planning. Bupa reported a 32% increase in overtime among Stream users compared to non-users, driven by the ability to access earnings shortly after working additional shifts.
This session is relevant to HR directors, workforce leads, finance directors, staff engagement teams, rostering leads and anyone responsible for employee benefits, retention or wellbeing across health and social care.
Frequently asked questions
Who presents this session?
The session is presented by Emma Hall from Stream, a B Corp organisation providing fair financial services to frontline workers. Stream launched in 2018 and is backed by financial charities and social impact partners. The session includes a panel Q&A with Hannah Brooks from RLDatix customer success, Alex and Paul from Stream, and contributions from audience members including a Stream champion from Northumbria.
What is Stream and how does it work?
Stream is a financial wellbeing platform that, according to figures presented in the session, is live across almost 400 health and care organisations, reaching 1.2 million employees with 450,000 actively using it. Its toolkit includes earnings visibility through Track, earned wage access of up to 50% through Pay, a government benefits checker, StepChange debt advice, rewards from over 400 brands, budgeting tools, an FSCS-protected savings pot at 3.8% daily interest, affordable credit, a financial coach and interactive learning courses. It follows the NEST Insight Financial Wellbeing Framework.
What is Loop Rewards?
Loop Rewards is a free rewards feature powered by Stream, now live in the Loop app. It offers discounts from over 400 brands, personalised birthday offers and end-of-month perks. Employees do not need a Stream account to browse and redeem rewards. For employers, there is no fee, no additional integration and no extra admin. It was co-created with health and care professionals and has been switched on for 125 organisations.
What does the data say about financial stress in health and care?
The session cites 61% of workers have taken four or more sick days due to financial stress. 57% say their mental health has declined because of money worries. 30% could not handle a £300 unexpected bill. 73% would move to an employer that takes financial wellbeing more seriously. And 13 IQ points are lost to financial stress, equivalent to losing a full night’s sleep before going into work to care for patients.
What impact has Stream had on health and care employees?
According to figures presented in the session, over £80 million has been saved across Stream’s health and care employees. 91% feel happier about their employer. 76% feel less stressed. 80% feel more in control of their money. Nearly a quarter say they can focus more on doing a good job at work. 65% of members save, and one in three of those are saving for the first time. Bupa reported a 32% increase in overtime among Stream users.
How does earned wage access reduce agency spend?
When staff can access a percentage of their earnings shortly after working a shift, it removes one of the main reasons they work for agencies instead of picking up bank shifts. Agencies typically pay weekly, while NHS trusts pay monthly. Stream bridges that gap. Bupa saw a 32% increase in overtime specifically because staff no longer needed the weekly pay cycle that agency work provided.
What is the National Coalition of Workplace Savings?
Stream powers the National Coalition of Workplace Savings, an initiative led by Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Lucy Rigby, Economic Secretary. The goal is to make workplace savings as standard as pension auto-enrolment. Stream’s data shows that 32% of its members are saving for the first time, enabled by technology that makes it simple, automatic and accessible.
How do organisations get started with Stream and Loop Rewards?
Organisations need to sign up for a Stream contract, which is free, to enable the full toolkit. Loop Rewards is automatically available to organisations that have both Loop and Stream. There is no implementation required for Loop Rewards. For new organisations, Stream can provide a live demo and walk through what implementation looks like.
