Our Benefits Advice team are specialist welfare rights advisors who provide a comprehensive advice service on the whole range of benefits provided by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Local Authority.

The team has been awarded the Legal Services Commission's General Quality Mark for its services including helping people to decide on possible solutions to their difficulties and, when necessary, negotiating and advocating on the client's behalf to third parties.

Call us on 0161 912 2735.

Lines are open Monday to Thursday, 9.30am - 12.30pm.

Advisors will:

• Give advice on the claiming of benefits such as Income Support, Housing Benefit Local Housing Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Social Fund
• Advise about asking for a revision of an unfavourable decision
• Help with appeals, both by writing the appeal and if necessary, accompanying the client to the tribunal hearing
• Make applications to the Social Security Commissioners if appeal tribunals have committed an error of law
• Explain what the duties of an appointee are and who may need one
• Help those whose partners need to go into care
• Check whether a person is receiving their correct entitlement to benefit
• Will give talks to community groups such as carers groups, disability groups or pensioners
• Offer training to other organisations in particular aspects of benefits
• Produce advice sheets to promote better understanding of who is entitled to benefit.

Most benefits cannot be backdated and therefore it is essential to claim in time.

The law also puts the responsibility for claiming the right benefit in time on the shoulders of the claimant or their appointee "not knowing" about a benefit is not regarded as a good reason for not claiming in time.

At times it is difficult to know which benefit or benefits are the right benefits and sometimes rules change.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) itself is not a single integrated organisation. Different benefits are processed at different offices and not all staff are trained or knowledgeable about the full range of benefits.

Our Benefit Advisors can help take a broad view of benefits and can help consider all the options and implications.