Ben sets ambitious targets as demand for health, wellbeing and financial support across the automotive industry grows
27 May 2026 
Automotive industry charity Ben’s Year in Numbers report, which outlines key statistics around how the industry is engaging with its support activities, shows a growing demand for health, wellbeing and financial support across the automotive industry between April 2025 and March 2026.
Over the year covered by the report, Ben responded to 14,377 enquiries for support, highlighting the pressures faced by people working in the automotive industry. But a key standout in the charity’s analysis was a growth in the number of people approaching it with multiple issues at once.
While these figures demonstrate the significant impact Ben is already making, they also highlight the substantial unmet need that still exists across the industry. Ben believes many more people could benefit from its support; however, given the size and scale of the automotive sector, raising awareness of the charity and its services remains a significant challenge. As a result, Ben has set an ambition to triple its charitable reach by 2030, ensuring far more automotive people know where to turn for health and wellbeing support, for life.
Support and specialist services delivery
During the year, Ben supported 3,421 individuals, delivering 7,048 direct support interventions. The support included 1,632 individuals receiving general information, advice and guidance for a range of issues, 1,605 individuals being supported with benefits advice and financial guidance, 573 financial grants awarded to individuals in hardship, 468 individuals supported through Ben Therapy, 263 individuals receiving life coaching, and 528 activations of SilverCloud, Ben’s digital mental health support platform.
Demand for online and digital support
Demand for online support and self-help resources also remained high, with more than 52,000 website visitors and 77,000 support page views recorded during the year. In addition, over 1,000 individuals signed up to receive health and wellbeing tips, advice and tools via email, which was an 8% increase, bringing the charity’s total subscribers to 15,500.
The most visited online support content reflected some of the biggest challenges currently affecting automotive people. The charity’s mental health section received 4,167 views, with SilverCloud receiving 3,174 views. The website’s sections on interview skills guidance, redundancy rights, and financial advice were also among the most visited.
These trends demonstrate continued demand for mental health and emotional wellbeing support, as well as practical financial and career advice, as people navigate ongoing uncertainty and change. And Ben has also just launched a new mental health self-assessment tool on its website in response to growing demand for support in this area.
Supporting employers and workplaces
Ben also continued to work alongside automotive employers to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce through training, health checks and response services. Across the year 445 individuals completed Ben training courses, with the most popular including Managing Mental Health in the Workplace, Mental Health First Aid and Fuelling your Wellbeing. Some 76 individuals had a Ben health check, and 59 individuals were supported through Ben’s urgent response service, following traumatic incidents such as the death of a colleague or customer, or the loss of life through suicide or serious accidents.
Rachel Clift, CEO at Ben, said: “Our latest year in numbers shows both the difference Ben is making and the growing challenges facing people across the automotive industry. Every number represents a real person who reached out for support, whether because of mental health struggles, financial worries, bereavement, stress or uncertainty about the future.
“While we’re proud of the impact we’re having, we also know the need across the industry is far greater than the number of people currently accessing our services. Too many people still don’t know Ben is here for them. That’s why increasing awareness is such a major priority for us. We want everyone in automotive to know where they can turn for support, whatever they’re facing.
“Our ambition is to treble our charitable impact by 2030 so we can help far more people earlier, before challenges escalate into crisis. We’ll continue evolving our services and working closely with industry partners to make that ambition a reality.”
Achieving the ambitious strategic goals the charity has set itself relies on the automotive industry to continue supporting its work, helping ensure that vital services remain accessible to all who need them.
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