Leicester Association

of Welfare Rights Advisers 

Meets bi monthly.

For further details contact:
Darren Moore
 

Tel: 0116 254 9990

East of

EA LAWRG is an informal meeting of welfare rights advisers from local authorities in the region and is a chance to catch up on developments and learn from other parts of the region. Typically the meetings last around 2 hours, and while an agenda is set in advance it is possible to raise issues and concerns at the meeting.

Further details from:

Jo Cowley
Suffolk County Council
 

Email: Jo.Cowley@socserv.suffolkcc.gov.uk

Has a quarterly Benefit Liaison meeting, jointly hosted with the DWP. Around 30-35 representatives from a wide range of Voluntary and statutory agencies attend - the majority of general advisers and sign posters, not specialists. We get input from Jobcentre plus, Pensions service, the IRS etc.

Further details from:

Mike Shermer
Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council
Chapel Street
Kings Lynn

Tel: (01553) 616629

Email Mike.Shermer@West-Norfolk.gov.uk

Each of these 3 groups meets on a bi-monthly basis. They are well established and have been meeting for around 7 years:

London Welfare Rights

Covers the whole of London plus Kent, Hertfordshire and other neighbouring counties. Meets every 6 weeks at Camden Town Hall.

Further details from:

Andy Campbell
Area Benefits Team
Social Services
Joynes House
New Road
Gravesend
Kent DA11 0AT

Tel: (01474) 544278

Email: andy.campbell@kent.gov.uk

Newham Welfare Rights

Meets bi-monthly, normally on second Friday in Feb, April, June, August sometimes, October and December.

Further details from:

Steve Cross
3 Nelson Street
East Ham
London E6 6EQ
 

Telephone: 020 8430 6394
Fax: 020 8430 3365
Email: steve.cross@newham.gov.uk

Northern Welfare Rights

Covers North East England from the Borders to North Yorkshire. Meets 3 times a year in locations around the region – recent meetings were in Durham, Newcastle, South Shields and Morpeth. There is no "secretariat" - meetings are arranged 2 in advance with the host administrating.

For details contact:

Phil Hanns

Welfare Rights Team
Durham County Council
26 Front Street
Framwellgate Moor
Durham DH1 5EJ

Tel: (0191) 3844252
Email: phil.hanns@durham.gov.uk

Greater Manchester

Welfare Rights Advisers

Our bi-monthly meetings are held at different venues across Greater Manchester and are open for all involved in giving advice on benefits, across the North West region. Just come along, no need to book a place. You are very welcome.

For details contact:
Email: gmwrag@hotmail.com
Website at http://gmwrag.wordpress.com

Rights Advice

Rights Advice Scotland is an organisation representing the many Welfare Rights Officers in Scottish Local Authorities. We aim to be a key player in the field of Social Welfare Law and to promote the excellent work and breadth of knowledge of our members.

Rights Advice Scotland will work in partnership with other organisations to ensure the delivery of high quality advice across the field, providing information and training on benefit related matters to its own members and to advisers in other organisations throughout Scotland.

Additionaly we will campaign for the uptake of benefits and for benefit reform. RAS is a Company Limited by Guarantee.

For details contact:

Richard Gass (Secretary)
Glasgow City Council Welfare Rights
Nye Bevan House
20 India Street
Glasgow

Tel: 0141 287 8780
Fax: 0141 287 8750

Website at www.rascot.co.uk

Welfare Rights Advisers

Quarterly meetings are held in Llandrindod Wells.

For details contact:

Gareth Morgan

Tel 029 2064 3333
Email: gmorgan@ferret.co.uk

West Midlands Welfare

Rights Advisers

A long-standing group but with fluctuating membership! Mainly comprises advisers from local authorities but is open to all. Some CAB, solicitors and Housing Associations attend. No formal chair – next host administers the meeting.

For details contact:

Bal Bajwa
Senior WRO
Welfare Rights Unit
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Sandwell B70 8EB

Tel: 0121 569 3885

Yorkshire &

Yorkshire & Humberside

Welfare Rights Officers

Group

Covers all of Yorkshire and Humberside.

For details contact:
Shaun Kelly

Email: shaun.kelly@leeds.gov.uk

Citizens Advice Specialist Support, Leeds, hold welfare benefits group meetings every 2 months. Meetings are open to advisors from any voluntary sector organisation. Citizens Advice produces an agenda and minutes but invites contributions from participants. Most people are from West Yorkshire but no one would be excluded. Statutory agencies do not generally attend but some local authority advisors do.

For details contact:

Kate Fincham or Sandie Lock
Citizens Advice Specialist Support
Leeds
 

Email: kate.fincham@citizensadvice.org.uk

This group will work on behalf of the LGA to;
• Advise on and assist with the any LGA response to all social security and tax credit policies and legislation and its implications for local authorities and those who use their services
• Provide technical and professional advice on the formulation of LGA policy on social exclusion, poverty and welfare reform.
• Attend various government consultative fora relating to social security and tax credit issues to ensure that the views of the LGA and the needs of those who use local authority services are represented.
• Identify and advise on the social security and tax credit dimensions of social care and child care legislation and their impact on local authority policies and practices in relation to service users, particularly the vulnerable.
• To promote good practice, partnership working and data sharing for the purposes of identifying improvements to the take up and delivery of benefits and tax credits for local authority service users.