Welfare Benefits

Welfare rights

The benefit system can be a complex system to deal with. As a claimant, you are required to find out for yourself if there are any benefits that you may be entitled to. Thousands of people do seek help with their benefit problems each year, but many fail to do this and as a result they miss out on money that they have a legal entitlement to.

Sometimes people make claims which they think should be successful but aren’t, or their current benefit comes under review and is stopped. In other situations they get a decision telling them they have had their benefit sanctioned (a penalty for specific actions or inaction leading to a loss of benefit) and they won’t get a payment for several weeks. Sometimes they receive a letter stating that they have been overpaid a benefit and have to repay it. These are just some of the benefit problems that people experience. Whatever the benefit problem, it is important to have specialist intervention to resolve these issues.

Please remember most benefit decisions have a strict appeal deadline after which you may not be able to challenge a decision.

Help is available: Benefit advice for the people of Hull or Advice if you live in the East Riding of Yorkshire

Useful websites to visit

General Issues

The following websites offer useful help and information concerned with general information on Benefits. Click on the name to go to their website.

  • Citizens Advice - Useful information from the Citizens Advice website Adviceguide.
  • Gov.uk - Housing Benefit- Overview of housing benefits.
  • HMRC - Useful information from the HMRC
  • Tax Help for Older People- An independent free tax advice service for older people on low incomes who cannot afford to pay for professional advice. Call on 0845 601 3321
  • Turn2us - Get help to find the money available to you, through welfare benefits, grants and other help
  • Gov.uk - Overview of benefits information.

Disability Living Allowance

  • Gov.uk - Overview of DLA for adults
  • Gov.uk - Overview of DLA for children (under 16)
  • Citizens Advice - Advice for people who are sick or disabled

Tax Credits

  • Citizens Advice - Useful advice on benefits and tax credits for people in work
  • HMRC - Useful information from the HMRC website
  • Tax Aid - A charity that offers up to date information and tax advice on tax matters to individuals on low and modest incomes

Housing Benefits

Employment Support Allowance

The below websites offer help and information on this subject. Click to view the website for each organisation.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Personal Independence Payment will start to replace Disability Living Allowance from April 8th 2013.

  • Citizens Advice - Helpful information on PIP from the Citizens Advice website Adviceguide.
  • Gov.uk - PIP - Overview from Gov.uk of Personal Independence Payment

Benefits calculator

  • Age UK - Do you know what benefits you are entitled to? Find out exactly what you are owed - quickly and easily - with our personalised benefits calculator.

If you have a Benefits and Tax Credits issue there are details of advice providers available below, and websites providing information about Benefits and Tax Credits here.

Specialist Benefits and Tax Credits Advice Providers what's this?

Citizens Advice, Hull and East Riding
Citizens Advice, Hull and East Riding is an independent charity providing free advice for the problems people face, helping them find a way forward
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
The money advice team are available to help any resident in the East Riding struggling with rent and/or council tax payments or repaying overpaid housing benefit.
Hull Advice
Hull Advice is part of Hull City Council's Customer Service team. It provides a drop in service for Hull residents that gives advice on a whole range of issues including benefits, debt, housing, family, community care and employment. The Hull Advice team works on behalf of the customer, even if the customer has a dispute with the Council.

General Benefits and Tax Credits Advice Providers what's this?

Age UK Hull
Age UK Hull: promoting independent living and active ageing in Hull, and local services for local people.
Cherry Tree Community Association
The mission of The Cherry Tree Community association is to provide top quality legal advice and assistance in welfare benefits, debt advice, consumer advice, employment advice and advocacy in order to set the best outcome for our clients.
The Warren
We are a free, city centre based, city wide service available to all young people aged 14 - 25 years.

Benefits and Tax Credits Information Advice Providers what's this?

British Red Cross
We are a volunteer-led humanitarian organisation that helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are.
Goodwin Development Trust / The Royal British Legion
We are a locally controlled and accountable organisation, committed to improving the Quality of Life within communities through identifying and addressing the needs of local people and by working in partnership with them and with statutory, voluntary and professional organisations.
JC Ready 4 Work. Ltd
JC Ready 4 Work Ltd is a non-profit organisation which was established in 2012 to provide mentoring programs for individuals with multiple barriers to employment and personal well-being within the local communities of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. These could be in the form of IT assistance, personal development, first aid courses, help gaining CSCS cards, or just assistance in improving confidence. We tailor our help to the individual more than we make the individual fit a pattern, so our assistance to those in need is very varied.