Introductory Welfare Rights Course Notes

These are notes for six short introductory courses I ran on Welfare Rights Advice. I hope you find them useful.

  1. Community Care Grants and the Social Fund

  2. Debt (also Electricity and Gas Guide).

  3. Disability Living Allowance

  4. Employment and Support Allowance (formerly Incapacity Benefit)

  5. Local Housing Allowance and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

  6. Job Seekers Allowance

Possible future topics could include:

  1. Carers Allowance and To Claim or Not To Claim.

  2. Premiums for Income Support and other benefits

  3. Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit

  4. Income Support

  5. Pension Credit

Best sources of further information are:

(1) Benefit Rates 2012/13 (pdf) – short list of all benefits and the rates they are paid at.

(2) Turn2Us Benefit Calculator – online utility that calculates exactly what benefits and what amounts a claimant is entitled to. Can be rerun to try out different scenarios. Is the most accurate method for a benefit check. www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

(3) Best reference is CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook – costs £10 if you are on benefits, £42 otherwise (including postage). Buy at http://www.cpag.org.uk/bookshop/wbtch

(4) Also good is the Disability Rights Handbook – costs £10 if you are on benefits, £20 otherwise. Buy at http://www.radar-shop.org.uk/Detail.aspx?id=62

(5) The Rightsnet internet discussion forum for welfare rights advisers. Anyone can read the forum posts, but you have to be a paid up member to add posts.

Plus information on debt specifically is in the debt course page, but especially http://nationaldebtline.co.uk/scotland

For expert advice on particular cases, I would recommend CPAG's Advice Line for Advisers. It can take a few tries to get through. This service is restricted to advisers, is not for claimants direct.

CPAG Advice Line for Advisers

CPAG in Scotland telephone advice line for advisers is open Monday to Thursday 10.00am to 12.00noon. This service provides advisers with advice on benefits and tax credits including expert legal interpretation, up to date case law, regulation and procedural changes and support with appeals.

The advice line number is 0141 552 0552.

We can also provide advice via email and letter. Please email advice@cpagscotland.org.uk or write to us at CPAG in Scotland, Unit 9, Ladywell, 94 Duke Street, Glasgow G4 0UW.