Mental Health and Benefits Handbook 1st edition - with new materialAppendix 2: Information and advice Benefits independent advice and representation
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Benefits independent advice and representation
If you want advice or information on a benefit or tax credit issue, the following organisations may be able to assist.
    •Advicelocal (advicelocal.uk) has details of advice organisations in your area.
    •Citizens Advice. You can find out where your local office is from the Citizens Advice website at citizensadvice.org.uk (England and Wales) or cas.org.uk (Scotland).
    •Law centres. You can find your nearest law centre at lawcentres.org.uk.
    •LawWorks (lawworks.org.uk) has details of local legal advice centres that give free advice.
    •Housing association welfare rights services for tenants.
    •Local authority welfare rights services.
    •Local and national organisations for particular groups of claimants may offer help. For instance, there are unemployed centres, pensioners’ groups and organisations for people with disabilities.
Advice from CPAG
Unfortunately, CPAG is unable to deal with enquiries directly from members of the public. If you are an adviser you can phone or email for help with advising your client.
Advisers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can call from 10am to 12pm and from 2pm to 4pm (Monday to Friday) on 020 7812 5231. Email advice is limited to enquiries that are specifically about universal credit, child benefit and tax credits. Our email address is advice@cpag.org.uk. For more information, see cpag.org.uk/advisers.
Advisers in Scotland can call from 10am to 4pm (Monday to Thursday) and from 10am to 12pm (Friday) on 0141 552 0552, or email advice@cpagscotland.org.uk.
CPAG’s Upper Tribunal assistance project can support advisers who are helping claimants to challenge tribunal decisions. See cpag.org.uk/upper-tribunal-assistance-project. We also provide training and advice to support advisers to pursue judicial review remedies. See cpag.org.uk/jrproject.
CPAG takes on a small number of test cases each year. We focus on cases that have the potential to improve the lives of families with children in poverty. If you are an adviser and would like to refer a test case to us, please see cpag.org.uk/test-case-referrals.
Finding help online
Information about benefits and tax credits, including a selection of leaflets and forms, is available on the gov.uk website.
AskCPAG is an information and solutions platform for advisers. It includes a digital version of this Handbook and other CPAG publications, fully searchable and updated throughout the year. See AskCPAG.org.uk.
The rightsnet website (aimed at advisers) at rightsnet.org.uk provides information on new welfare rights legislation, caselaw and guidance. It also provides updates on developments in other areas of social welfare law and has a discussion forum where advisers can discuss particular cases.
Most Acts and regulations can be found at legislation.gov.uk.
You can find commissioners’ and Upper Tribunal decisions at gov.uk/administrative-appeals-tribunal-decisions.
Other CPAG publications
Other CPAG Handbooks
Benefits for Migrants Handbook
Child Support Handbook
Council Tax Handbook
Debt Advice Handbook (available free on AskCPAG)
Fuel Rights Handbook (available free on AskCPAG)
Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook
Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook (available free online at AskCPAG)
Children’s Handbook Scotland (available free on AskCPAG)
CPAG guides
Financial Help for Families: what you need to know
Personal Independence Payment: what you need to know
Universal Credit: what you need to know
Winning Your Benefit Appeal: what you need to know
AskCPAG
The full text of the Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook and Benefits for Migrants Handbook updated throughout the year. See cpag.org.uk/subscriptions for details. Plus the free Handbooks listed above.
AskCPAG+
CPAG’s full digital package which includes the full text of the Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook and Benefits for Migrants Handbook updated throughout the year, the Welfare Rights Bulletin and decision-making tools and appeal letter generators. See cpag.org.uk/subscriptions for details.