Welfare advice for council tenants

The Welfare Reform Advice Team directly delivers welfare rights and a debt advice service to Council tenants across North Ayrshire. They aim to improve the income and living standards of individual tenants and communities.

Our service offers free, confidential and impartial advice and assistance on a range of matters including:

• Benefit checks
• Welfare Benefits
• Debt advice
• Assistance to make a claim for benefits
• Assistance with benefit decisions including appeal representation
• Assistance with Universal Credit claims
• Disability benefits including Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment
• Rent Arrears
• Housing options advice to assist with on-going housing needs
• Housing Benefit and Council Tax advice
• Personal budgeting advice
• Employability support
• Pre-tenancy service - Your Home

Our support workers conduct pro-active visits to tenants identified as being affected by changes to benefits under Welfare Reform, including:

• Under Occupation charge
• Benefit Cap
• Introduction of Universal Credit

We can help if you:

• are on a low income
• have had a change in your circumstances: unable to work due to sickness/disability
• have had a change in your household: had a baby, bereavement, someone moving in or out
• are in crisis or have been made unemployed
• are caring for someone
• have accepted a council house
• have debts

We provide drop in sessions at various locations and times in North Ayrshire. Please call 01294 310000 for details.

Our staff will do everything they can to make you feel at ease while discussing your circumstances. Any information you provide will be treated with confidentiality.

As with other agencies, staff from our service are responsible for:

• the protection of children
• the protection of vulnerable people
• ensuring everyone is treated equally

We will only share personal information about you with outside agencies if there is a significant risk to you or others around you.

All our staff must ensure they work in line with the Data Protection Act 1998. We will discuss with you sharing your information with other agencies who we think will assist in the provision of your support need.