Information Update on Welfare Advice Service

Information Update

Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, we have made some temporary changes to our Welfare Advice Service to reduce the risk of infection of clients and staff and to ensure that welfare advice provision is maintained during this period.

With effect from Monday 23rd March 2020 the primary source of advice will be by telephone and emails. Clients will be telephoned or emailed by an SDAIS Welfare Adviser, normally within 2 working days of contacting us. Web-chat advice will also be available for people with Universal Credit Help to Claim enquiries.

There will be no drop-in face-to-face advice sessions at Wellington Square.

All telephone advice will be provided by fully trained Welfare Advisers, and will include:

Advice on benefit claims, including support on making claims including completion of benefit application forms and appeals/mandatory reconsiderations
Debt advice and debt casework
Employment advice
Housing advice
Energy and utilities
Health and Social Care Advice
Immigration
Family and personal
Consumer
Local services, including food bank and crisis support

Home visits may be available for vulnerable clients in emergency/crisis situation but these will be very limited.

A full list of Telephone Numbers is overleaf.

Please contact us if you have any queries.

Ian Bartlett – SDAIS Manager

Service
Contact Details
Welfare Advice
Telephone Advice
(All subjects)

01642 633877 – Monday – Friday 9.00am-4.30pm
(We will call you back)
Welfare Advice – email
(All subjects)

support@stockton-cab.co.uk
Welfare Advice – Debt – Telephone Advice

01642 633877 – Monday – Friday 9.00am-4.30pm
(We will call you back)
Welfare Advice (websites)
Stockton Welfare Advice Network (SWAN)
www.stocktonadvice.org.uk

National Citizens Advice
www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Universal Credit – Help To Claim
01642 633877 (SDAIS)
0800 1448444 (SDAIS + National Citizens Advice)
Webchat via National Citizens Advice website

Consumer Advice
03454 040506 (National Citizens Advice)