Welfare Benefits Advice
What help can we offer you?
Although we receive funding to provide Welfare Benefits advice for people living in East Northamptonshire through funding from North Northamptonshire Council most of our Welfare Benefits advice is currently provided in the County as an integral part of our Energy Advice Services. These services assist people on low incomes to maximise benefit income to help meet energy costs in the home.
We provide a comprehensive casework service and support with appeals delivered by fully trained experienced staff covering all Welfare Benefit matters including:
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Personal Independence Payment
- Jobseekers Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Bereavement Benefits
- Council Tax Support
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Carers Allowance
- Maternity Benefits
- Child Benefit
- Benefit Overpayments
- Challenging Benefit Decisions
- Help with Appeals
Appointments with our specialist advisors are available either by telephone or at our offices in Northampton and Wellingborough. We also have Countywide outreach venues.
If your problem is urgent, we will try to see you before any deadlines that you must meet. For non-urgent problems, demand for our service may sometimes mean that you have to wait for an appointment. You will be given the option of being referred to an alternative provider should the waiting time not be appropriate for your needs.
Which geographical areas do we cover?
In East Northamptonshire we provide specialist Welfare Benefits advice to any resident in the area.
Welfare Benefits advice delivered by CLS through our Energy Advice Services is mainly focused on Northampton Borough, the Borough of Wellingborough, East Northamptonshire and South Northamptonshire.
Our Welfare
Benefits
Advice Service
is Free,
Independent and
Confidential
How can you access this service?
An organisation that is already supporting you can make a referral.
Or you can visit our offices, email enquiries@communitylawservice.org.uk or call 01604 621038.
You can also make contact with our Energy Advice Services via their own contact details.
Drop-In Advice Services
One Stop Shop, Northampton Guildhall
Tuesday 10.00am – 12.00noon (including energy saving advice)
In 2022 – 2023 we provided Welfare Benefits advice to 2156 people and helped them to claim £7,681,674 of additional benefit income
“The advisor helped me to get my Personal Independence Payment including a backdated payment and having the extra money means I can manage so much better now.”
a Case Study
Client’s Situation & Enquiry:
Mrs D was a widow and living alone in a 3 bed Housing Association property. She had substantial health problems and did not want to downsize/leave the family home or her immediate area.
She was reliant on Benefit income and received Employment and Support Allowance, the Daily Living and Mobility components of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), maximum Housing Benefit meeting her rent aside from the 2 bedroom under-occupancy and maximum Council Tax Support.
She had received received a letter from the DWP advising she no longer had entitlement to an award of Personal Independence Payment following a new decision. As a result of this her Employment and support Allowance was also reduced as she no longer qualified for a Severe Disability Premium.
Initial Advice Given & Action Agreed & Taken:
Mrs D was advised on the Benefit challenge procedure, with first action being taken to request a Mandatory Reconsideration of the decision to cease payment of PIP . Additional medical evidence was obtained to support the application .
In order to prevent rent arrears that were accruing due to the reduced income a Discretionary Housing Payment was also applied for.
Outcomes Achieved:
- Mrs D had the enhanced rate Daily Living & standard Rate Mobility components of PIP @ £110.85 per week reinstated and a backdated amount of £886.80.
- As a subsequence, and as she continued to live alone with nobody claiming Carer’s Allowance for looking after her, she once again qualified for a Severe Disability Premium in her ESA award, which was also backdated to her PIP award. Backdated credit of £526.80, with ongoing weekly entitlement @ £65.85 per week, paid fortnightly.
- She was assisted in registering for a Warm Home Discount via her electricity provider, affording a £140 credit to her electricity account for Winter’19-20, and placed on the Priority Service Registers for gas, electricity and also water.
- Mrs D was awarded a Discretionary Housing Payment for an initial period of 2 months pending the outcome of the PIP decision
Total additional income received as result of the advice provided = £176.70 per week.
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