Information & Advice

Making sure you get the help and support you need.

There is so much information available about benefits and allowances but it can be very hard to navigate through and discover what you could be entitled to or what support and help is out there.

This is where our Information and Advice Service can help.

• Blue Badge applications
• Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payments
• Benefits advice

If you would like support and help to navigate your way through the maze, you will need to book an appointment to meet with a member of our team to discuss your circumstances.

We will take you step by step through the ‘maze’ of forms and procedures and support you to appeal decisions (if you would like to) should your application be turned down.

Our service is entirely free of charge and you are under no obligation to offer a donation however we welcome voluntary contributions to enable this valuable service to continue.

Please call: 01797 363888

Our Top Tips

Are you over 65 and have a medical condition that makes day to day life more difficult than it used to be?

If so, you may be entitled to Attendance Allowance. A non means tested benefit given to the over 65’s who have difficulties or need someone to help and supervise them to do the day to day things we used to take for granted.

There are also benefits for the under 65’s who have mobility and care needs, such as Personal Independence Payments

If you are looking to apply for these benefits or want to apply for a Blue Badge (disabled parking), please follow the attached links or feel free to contact us here at the Day Centre for further advice and help with your applications.

Further online help working through the maze!

The consumer magazine "WHICH?" has the following information:

The Benefits System

There is a range of benefits available to older or disabled people, or those that need help with care. Some are means tested, others are available to anyone who meets specific criteria. If a benefit is means tested, it is only available to those people who earn beneath a certain level of income. Depending on their circumstances, your relative might qualify for such financial help.

Benefits advice and calculators

Citizens Advice: for more detailed advice about benefits entitlement, contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to make an appointment with a trained adviser. Details of how to get in touch are available on the Citizens Advice website.

If you are unsure which benefits you or your relative might be entitled to, try using an online benefits calculator. You will be asked a number of questions about your personal circumstances, then offered guidance on which benefits you might be eligible for.

Source: Which Magazine

The Benefits System

• Don’t forget that if your relative’s circumstances change, you must notify the Department of Work and Pensions immediately as this could affect the benefits they are entitled to.
• Benefits cap: there is a limit on the total amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. For more information, see the GOV.UK website.
• Welfare reform: there are a number of changes taking place to the benefits system from April 2013 onwards as part of the Government’s welfare reforms, for example the introduction of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit. For more details about the proposed changes, see GOV.UK website.