Resources by issue: Benefits

Advicenow provides clear, step-by-step, user-friendly practical guides, and 'top picks' from the rest of the web, to help you manage life's legal problems.

Advicenow guides are easy-to-read and practical. They explain what you need to know, where you need to go, and what you need to do to solve your problem.

Offer independent, qualified advocacy support across a range of issues for residents of Essex

Benefit referral (only for DLA or ESA issues and after checking with a supervisor)

Grants for young people

ESA50

Help with utility bills. Charis support those who are struggling to pay their bills or have other essential needs.

Our calculator can give you an indication of the amount that you could expect to pay or receive.

Benefit referral

Update Feb 2017 CLS is no longer accepting new clients see here: http://www.communitylegal.co.uk/

ESA and PIP help and representation, by qualified lawyers.

Advice on heating and hot water and grants for boiler replacement for those on a low income.

Benefits calculator

Benefit referral (only for DLA or ESA issues and after checking with a supervisor).

Offer independent, qualified advocacy support across a range of issues for residents of Essex.

https://chelmsford.foodbank.org.uk/ for general information about foodbanks.

See also Homeless for info on access to food.

Find out what benefits you can get and where to go for money advice.

We'll make sure you get the help you need by directing you to specialist support services who can give you confidential and anonymous advice. We can also help you get:

• information about grants available
• food packs
• starter home packs
• small domestic appliances.

Contact HMRC for information about eligibility, claiming and stopping Child Benefit, changing your personal details and making a complaint.

You can usually claim JSA online, but the online application service is temporarily unavailable. Claim by phone instead.

Lenderhand is a charity that provides families and individuals living in Essex with assistance by paying for goods or services that they could not otherwise afford, providing a helping hand through the challenging periods of their lives.

Through our free legal advice helpline, we assist parents and carers in tackling complex issues around employment rights and benefits for families. We give employers the tools and guidance they need to support their employees while creating a flexible, high-performing workforce. And we advocate on behalf of the UK’s 13 million working parents, influencing policy through campaigns informed by ground-breaking research.

A quick guide to Pension Credit entitlement, and links to an (anonymous) calculator.

Free and impartial government guidance to help you understand what you can do with your pension pot.

Benefit Calculator

People on low incomes need their taxes to be as simple as possible. Our aim is to persuade politicians and HM Revenue & Customs to make the tax system easier and fairer for all while making tax and tax credit information available to those who are unable to afford professional advice.

A charity that helps people in financial hardship gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and support services.

This site will help you understand what Universal Credit means for you. If you want to go straight to making a claim for Universal Credit visit gov.uk/universal-credit

From the weekly briefing 18 Feb 2019...

We are going live with the phone and webchat service this week. 

Please note the phone number is different from the ones for Adviceline and the government UC helpline.  It is on the signposting list for information, anyone phoning on Adviceline or the general main line who needs help with a new claim should be directed to 0800 144 8444. 

St Martin’s-in-the-fields administers the above fund which makes grants to individuals in need. This is not limited to a geographic area and is intended for the whole community. There are no eligibility requirements on the basis of gender, age, origin, status, ethnic group, or faith. For clients in need of financial help – for example in a crisis, or to help set up home when they have previously been homeless.

Through our free legal advice helpline, we assist parents and carers in tackling complex issues around employment rights and benefits for families. We give employers the tools and guidance they need to support their employees while creating a flexible, high-performing workforce. And we advocate on behalf of the UK’s 13 million working parents, influencing policy through campaigns informed by ground-breaking research.