Welfare Rights In Reach Project

AIM:

The project will provide appointments for 150 clients to have welfare rights advice at the centre from a specialist welfare rights worker from the local Law Centre through a weekly inreach surgery. It will also have a disability rights element around Pip, ESA etc. 

DETAILS:

The project will deliver the following:

- Ensure clients receive face to face advice from a specialist welfare rights adviser (approx. 150 clients)

- Advice on hardship payments, entitlements and easements for homeless people around universal credit

- Maximise incomes and identify underclaiming

- Appeal sanctions, and undertake mandatory reconsiderations

- Identify entitlements for EEA nationals and support clients to pursue claims

- Identify entitlement to disability benefits and support

- Signpost to other relevant legal advice eg Care Act, immigration etc

- Independent advice on benefit implications and entitlements re return to work

- Advice on HB entitlement in arrears and NSP cases to help prevent eviction.                                                                                                                  

This has been piloted before with huge success. For example, the adviser prevented 7 Irish nationals from being made street homeless as the DWP had misadvised them they had to satisfy the habitual residence test and would not receive benefits for 3 months which was incorrect.

The pilot also achieved a £10k backdate for a homeless person who had to be supported to put in 2 appeals to the DWP to get income reinstated and had been destitute for 3 years. 

The pilot has also supported people to obtain PIP.

The adviser also acts as a resource to other support workers to advise them on strategy for other cases. 

Success will be measured through output data eg clients seen / issues supported and outcomes eg income maximisation figures / case studies / feedback.