Webinar & Q&A — Money with Crohn's and Colitis: Benefits

18 August 2026 | 6:30–8.15pm | Online

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Living with a long-term health condition like Crohn’s or Colitis can have an impact on your financial situation, and we know that money worries can cause extra stress that can feel hard to manage.

This webinar is for anyone affected by Crohn’s or Colitis who wants to know more about the benefits that they, or someone close to them, may be entitled to claim.

The benefits you might be eligible for may depend on your age, where you live, your income and personal circumstances. This can feel confusing and hard to navigate, so we're lucky to be joined by Gary Vaux, former Head of Hertfordshire County Council's Money Advice Unit, who will break down the legislation and guidance into accessible information to help empower you. We're also delighted to be hearing from Coupon King Jordon Cox, who will share his journey with Crohn's Disease and the money tips and tricks he's learned along the way.

When? Tuesday 18 August, 6.30–8.15pm

Where? Online on Zoom

Questions? Head to our FAQs.

Our speakers

“”

I've been there - being told to focus on getting better, but you're worried about making ends meet. The most important thing in life is your health: finding ways to ease the burden on your wallet, and focus fully on getting better, is so important. I'm really looking forward to sharing my story and giving some practical tips.

“”

My aim, in all of my work on benefits, is to make a seemingly impenetrable social security system as accessible and understandable as possible. I hate jargon and unnecessarily complex explanations, and try to make the legislation and guidance as clear and relatable to real life as I can. If you're not sure about which benefits might be applicable to you and your family, now or in the future, or if you've had negative experiences in getting your condition across, I hope you might find one or two nuggets of information in this webinar.

Speaker bios

Gary Vaux has been a welfare benefits adviser for over 40 years, working in a wide variety of frontline and management roles, with an in-depth understanding of the social security system in the UK. Although retired from his day job, he is an active author, broadcaster, trainer, and consultant for a number of national charities, local authorities, radio and TV stations, law firms, housing associations and others. He has a long-standing relationship with the DWP at a national level, where he is asked to review and comment on forthcoming changes or the impact of previous ones.

Gary has supported Crohn’s & Colitis UK for a number of years. He helps us to make sure our information on money and benefits is accurate, up to date and trustworthy. He has three family members affected by Crohn’s or Colitis, and understands through them just a little of what people have to go through to get the financial support they sometimes need. Away from work, he's a Spurs season ticket holder, with five fabulous grandkids (hopefully six by the time you read this!). 

Jordon Cox is known as TV's ‘Coupon King’ - finding you deals, discounts and tricks to save money. He was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease at 18 years old, and has battled with Crohn's his whole adult life. During his worst, he dropped down to 6 stone 10 in weight, and was fed intravenously before undergoing two surgeries to remove diseased bowel. He's now currently in remission. During his time in hospital, Jordon honed his craft at saving money and finding deals, and even made several £1,000s while stuck in a hospital bed. Both illness and money are very important topics for him, and he can't wait to share what he's learned about his journey.

Catherine Winsor is Director of Services, Research & Evidence at Crohn's & Colitis UK. She has worked in the healthcare charity sector for over 20 years, including senior roles at Prostate Cancer UK and Bowel Cancer UK, leading teams focused on improving healthcare pathways and the provision of patient support services. Catherine is passionate about health inequality and improving access to support for everyone.

FAQs

Who is this webinar for?

This webinar is for anyone affected by Crohn's or Colitis. You may live with the condition yourself, or want to learn more about it to help you support a loved one.

How do I join? 
  1. Register for your free place by filling in this quick form
  2. We will send you a confirmation email with your unique link to join
  3. We will send you a reminder email an hour before the webinar starts
Help! I haven't received a confirmation email.

You should receive a confirmation email immediately. If you haven't, and it is not in your Spam or Junk folder, it is possible your email address was misspelled. Please register again and double-check the spelling of your email address - or send us an email so we can make sure you have everything you need to join the event. 

Do I need to download anything, or create an account?

The webinar will be held using Zoom Webinar.

You don't need a Zoom account, or to download any software, but for the best experience we recommend joining using the free Zoom app. Without the app, you may not be able to use features like the Chat and Polls.

You can join using a desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Will I be on camera?

No - this event is a webinar, not a meeting, so your camera and microphone will be off and you can relax knowing that nobody is able to see or hear you. 

How do I submit a question for the Q&A session?

Please add your question to the 'Question & Comments' box on the registration form. We aim to answer as many as possible in the Q&A session at the end. Your question will be asked anonymously. Please note that we are unable to give individualised medical or financial advice.

Will the webinar be streamed live, or recorded?

The webinar won't be streamed live on social media - to watch it live, you will need to register. The webinar will be recorded, and we will share the recording with everyone who registered. 

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Helpline Service

Last updated: 22/07/2026

Our Helpline team can't take calls, chats or ring you back for the rest of the summer. But you can still reach us by email. 

If you need to contact the team, please email helpline@crohnsandcolitis.org.uk and we'll answer you as soon as possible. 

Thanks for bearing with us.

How Can We Help?

  • We can help you understand Crohn’s and Colitis
  • Listen and talk about living with IBD
  • Help you connect with others in the Crohn’s and Colitis community
  • Give you contact details of specialist organisations
  • We can support you to live well with Crohn’s or Colitis and provide up-to-date, evidence-based information

Please be aware we’re not medically or legally trained. We cannot provide detailed financial or benefits advice or specialist emotional support.

If you need specific medical advice about your condition, your GP or IBD team will be best placed to help.

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