Where to look for help with Benefits.

Benefits/Work-Focused Interviews

There has been a lot of discussion recently about welfare benefits/ work-focused interviews (WFI) on the email network, so we thought we’d tell you more about them.

Advice on Benefits

Whether you are newly diagnosed or you have had ME for a while, if you want to find out about what entitlement to benefits/ tax credits you have, the best place to go is your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) which you can find in the phone book.

It is very important to seek advice at the beginning of the claims process if at all possible, so that they can help you fill in the claim form; they should have experience of how best to do this, which can help to avoid hassle later on! (If you have already started the process, they can still help.)

The Newcastle City Council website also has some advice about them. This is the link for Newcastle City Council's website: 

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/wr_jcpluswfi

This seems to me to be sound advice, but this of course is not guaranteed.  

Another link which might help is to the Action for ME website:

 http://www.afme.org.uk/allaboutme.asp?table=contenttypetwo&id=18

This directs you to their ‘Guide to benefits’ which opens as a pdf file and includes information on the new Employment Support Allowance.

Residents of Kingston Borough

Kingston Centre for Independent Living (KCIL) also now has an adviser who is running a benefits advice service on Mondays.  

Contact Justine Hogg on 020 8481 1446, justineh@kcil.org.uk at KCIL, River Reach, 31-35 High Street, Kingston  KT1 1LF

There is a department within Kingston Social Services called Kingston Workstart who can help support you back into work as well as helping with illness/disability related benefits, some of which can still apply while you do some work.

Nicola Farrington, Kingston Workstart Coordinator, Kingston Workstart, Sherwood Centre, Warren Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey  KT2 7HY 

Tel: 020 8547 6635   Mobile:  07776 226430   Fax:  020 8547 6633 
Email:  nicola.farrington@rbk.kingston.gov.uk  Hours of work:  Monday and Tuesday:  9.30 am–5.00 pm, Thursday:  9.30 am–1.30 pm.