Welfare benefits: Further information

Sources of information and advice.

Finding someone to help

Agencies that will or may offer advice on benefits include
- Community Legal Advice (link to direct.gov.uk) have a helpline, and you can also search online for a local advisor;
- Citizens Advice Bureaux (www.citizensadvice.org.uk) and Law Centres (www.lawcentres.org.uk), though both may well be shown if you search for a local advisor through the 'Community Legal Advice' link above; or
- your trade union, if you are in one.
Local authority welfare rights workers provide a service in many areas and may arrange advice sessions. Check your local authority's website or contact their 'One-Shop Shop'.
Within Greater London, there is the Disability Law Service at www.dls.org.uk.
DIAL member organisations around the country often offer advice or case work in welfare benefits - www.dialuk.info.
The official Benefit Enquiry Line (link to Directgov) on 0800 882200 - or textphone 0800 243355 - provides general advice on benefits for people with disabilities (but has no access to your personal records).

Direct.gov.uk - Benefits and financial support
Direct.gov.uk - Financial support for disabled people
Jobseekers (on direct.gov.uk), including Jobcentre Plus, a service bringing together jobcentres and most benefits for people of working age. They have specialist services for disabled people: see Disabled people: Help with finding work (on direct.gov.uk).
Turn2us Benefits Checker - to help you work out entitlement to benefits and tax credits.

Department for Work and Pensions: Specialist Guides and Publications. These include relevant statutes and regulations in the Blue Volumes, and the official Decision Makers Guide.
The Disability Alliance has numerous resources on its website, including factsheets and Digests of case law.
RightsNet - provides support and information about welfare rights to advice workers.
Upper Tribunal (formerly the Social Security Commissioners) - including database of decisions. Another source is Neligans Digest which has summaries of important reported decisions.
First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) - the agency which hears appeals on social security, and from which one can appeal on a point of law to the Upper Tribunal.

For web links generally on stammering and employment see the Equality Act employment page and the links page.

The Disability Alliance sells the excellent Disability Rights Handbook, which I use for this web page.
Welfare benefits and tax credits handbook - Child Poverty Action group. Sometimes goes into more technical detail.