Benefits Advice
Our team of volunteer advisers, first contact workers and specialist caseworkers provide information and advice about all welfare benefits issues from checking eligibility and helping with claims, supporting clients to appeal about decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions/Jobcentreplus and Liberata. We can help with Jobseekers benefits, income support, housing benefit and council tax support, pension credit, tax credits, employment support allowance and disability benefits, plus many more.
We also work in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to provide a specialist benefits advice service for people affected by cancer.
What We Can Help With
- We can give practical assistance by helping you to work out your entitlement to benefits and tax credits. For example we can talk to you about the effects of moving in with a partner, financial support if you are expecting a baby or the effects on your income of increasing hours at work or taking a new job.
- We can help you fill in forms such as Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. Please note this will always be by appointment and only after we have assessed whether it is the appropriate benefit for you.
- If you have been refused a benefit or your benefit has been stopped we will be able to advise you how to challenge this.
How We Can Help
Please contact Citizens Advice Barrow. You will have a short interview with one of our first contact workers who will discuss with you the best way to help with your enquiry. At this stage it is important that you have letters and forms that you want to discuss and also details of your household income. If your benefits enquiry is complex or you want to appeal a decision to refuse you benefit we will make an appointment with one of our specialist advisers after we have made an initial assessment.
Additional Resources
- Citizens Advice – online information about Benefits
- To check your benefit entitlement using online calculators, visit the Turn2Us website
- For information about tax credits, visit the HMRC website
- For information on benefits, visit the Benefits section of the Government website
- For information on benefits for people affected by cancer, visit the Macmillan website
- For information on the Blue Badge Scheme, visit Cumbria County Council website
- For council tax and housing benefit issues, visit Barrow Borough Council website
- For information on disability rights and benefits, visit the Disability Rights UK website
- For mental health related issues, visit the Mind website