Welfare Benefits Advice
The Law Centre provides advice on social security law and offers representation at appeal hearings. We can advise on all benefits including:
- Disability Living Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Job Seeker's Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Carer's Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit
- Tax Credits
Our service covers Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
We have a Community Legal Service contract to provide specialist help in welfare benefits.
Referrals
We welcome referrals from advice agencies and other organisations.
How to contact us
You can usually contact us directly on our advice line number, 0117 9167722, on Monday afternoons between 2pm and 4pm. If you ring at this time and you get a recorded message it means we are answering another call but you can leave a message and an adviser will phone back usually the same day or as soon as possible afterwards.
| Fax: | 0117 9248020 |
| Minicom: | 0117 9245573 |
| EMail: | mail@ablc.org.uk |
Work with other organisations
We also carry out social policy work with other organisations:
- Advice Centres for Avon – the umbrella agency for advice services in the old Avon area.
- Liaison meetings with the Department for Work and Pensions, the Tribunals Service and Bristol City Council Housing Benefit service.
- Meetings with the Legal Services Commission, South Gloucestershie Council and local Primary Care Trusts about developing and improving advice services in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
- Organising advice law training courses through South West Advice Training.
Other useful websites
Please note: the rules relating to benefits change continually and as a result there is a great deal of out-of-date benefits information on the Internet, even on the sites of major national charities. Please treat all benefits information you encounter on the web with great caution, particularly if it hasn't been updated for months.
East Bristol Advice Service. Downloadable guides to incapacity for work and disability living allowance. Links to mental health resources and local carers.
CAB Advice Guide. Basic benefits information from Citizens Advice.
Tribunals Service. The home of The Tribunals Service, the body which organises benefit appeal tribunal hearings.
Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP is the new name for the DSS. There is a great deal of very useful information on this site, including downloadable booklets about most benefits and also downloadable claim forms.
Social Security Commissioners. This is the home of the Social Security Commissioners, who hear appeals against tribunal decisions.
Benefits advice in your area
Community Legal Advice. Previously called Community Legal Service Direct, this website provides details of advice centres and solicitors funded under the Community Legal Services scheme. You can search for agencies in your area that give legal advice. You should check in advance whether you will be charged for the advice and representation you receive.
Advice UK. Details of independent advice centres in your area. You can search for local advice agencies that give benefits advice.
Law Centres Federation. Contact details of your nearest Law Centre, where you may be able to get free advice and representation at appeals.
Citizens Advice Bureau local search. Visit this site to find the contact details of your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) if you live in England and Wales. CAB can provide information about benefits and some employ specialist welfare rights staff.