Advice Team brings in nearly £900,000 for Link Clients

The Linkwide Advice Team, which works to promote social inclusion and tackle poverty in Scotland’s Central Belt by advising Link tenants and service users on a wide range of issues, has raised nearly £900,000 in benefits for its clients over the last year.

The Advice Team helps Link’s tenants and service users in and around Edinburgh, Falkirk and Glasgow to identify and claim benefits to which they are entitled, many of which may otherwise go unclaimed. In addition to benefits advice, the team offers a welfare rights service, a Money Advice Service and an Older Person’s Advice Project (OPAP), which is specially tailored for the over 60s.

Over the last 12 months, 1057 people have sought the help of the team. Whether they need help with day-to-day budgeting, advice on debt and bankruptcy or assistance on any aspect of their welfare, the team has the expertise and experience to offer services that can dramatically improve a person’s quality of life.

OPAP has been particularly successful this year, having secured £390,000 for clients through benefits including Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and Pension Credit. The project is funded by the Pensions Service Partnership Fund, which exists to improve the take-up of older people’s benefits. OPAP is one of only 15 projects in Scotland to have won a Department of Work and Pensions contract under the terms of the fund. The team now hopes to advise other Registered Social Landlords on setting up similar projects.

Page last updated on Wednesday, 23 July 2008