Advice Centre opens doors after fundraising drive

The Advice Centre team have been working behind the scenes to start a welfare benefits and tribunal support service after receiving a new charitable grant. Coupled with the money raised through its recent Crowd Funding appeal, this means the organisation will be able to start seeing a limited number of disabled people for face to face appointments for the first time since the bulk of its funding stopped at the end of March.

The new grant will enable the organisation to develop a peer support programme where disabled people who have successfully challenged benefit decisions will help current claimants going through the same process.

Geraldine Des Moulins, Possability People’s Chief Executive says:

“There is an overwhelming demand for help from disabled people refused Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and other allowances, who have few options at an incredibly stressful time. Imagine the effect on your health if you have no idea how you are going to get by for the next few weeks, left alone for the months and months an appeal challenge can take?

Challenging decisions can be a lengthy and stressful process often ending up at a tribunal. Where Possability People have been able to take cases to tribunal, they have had a success rate of 80%.

Possability People’s Advice Centre helped over 4000 disabled people last year but most of its funding was cut in March. A limited telephone service has been in place since then.

Geraldine continued:

“We are excited to be starting this new service by disabled people who have successfully been through an appeal or tribunal. They have first hand experience of the stress and difficulties it can cause, so are well placed to support others going through the same thing.

“It’s early days, but together with the money donated through our Crowd Funder appeal, we can now start making appointments to see more disabled people and give them the support they need”.

Possability People’s Advice Centre supports adults who live in the Brighton and Hove area who are disabled, or have a health condition, or are older people, carers, or other professionals with a disabled client.

They can help with enquiries about;

• Disability benefits (ESA, UC, PIP, AA, Carers Allowance, WTC)
• Disability benefits appeals
• Some pension credit enquiries
• Some Council Tax enquiries
• Fuel debt or changing fuel providers
• Utilities debt
• Information on equipment or assistive technology
• Accessible holidays
• Food bank referrals

If you need help or advice, contact the team on 01273 894050 or email advice@possabilitypeople.org.uk

They run a specialist Multiple Sclerosis (MS) project

• This covers coastal East and West Sussex
• Clients with MS who need benefits or debt advice should be refered to  MS@possabilitypeople.org.uk

They operate an East Sussex Information and Advice telephone service on 01424 234460 or esussex@possabilitypeople.org.uk