Financial/Welfare Advice for Families


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Services listed here will help people to resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice. Sometimes it is not easy to understand the rules about benefits or how to claim the benefits you can get. Organisations listed here can help with advice and some will represent you.

Support for Financial/Welfare Advice

Make The Call

Are you missing out ?  To make sure you're getting all the benefits, services and supports you're entitled to, Make the Call on freephone 0800 232 1271.

Bereavement Support Payment

Bereavement Support Payment gives financial help to deal with the more immediate costs caused by the death of a spouse or civil partner. It is paid where the date of death was on or after 6 April 2017.

Centre For Independent Living

The Centre for Independent Living NI (CILNI) is an organisation of disabled people, working to support disabled people choosing to take more control over their arrangements for personal support. 

Centre for Independent Living NI (Contact details - Area Offices)

Food Banks

Foodbanks  can provide 3 days emergency food supply.

Contact Citizens Advice Bureau, your social worker, your Doctor’s surgery, or one of the area’s other agencies like the Salvation Army, the Simon Community, Women’s Aid or SureStart to discuss your situation.

They can give you a voucher to obtain food.

If you have a completed foodbank voucher, please bring it to the Food Bank.

Check opening times of your local Foodbank.

Self Directed Support

Self Directed Support is a way of providing social care support that empowers individuals to have informed choice about how support is provided to them with a focus on working together to achieve individual outcomes. Self Directed Support enables individuals to choose how their support is provided and gives them as much control as they want over their Personal Budget.

Advice to Families of People in Prison/On Probation

NIACRO’s Families and Money Matters (FAMM) project delivers debt and money management advice to families of people in prison and those on probation. It supports families who are not engaging with mainstream debt advice services and who have a relative who has either recently entered custody or is nearing their release date

Helplines

Independent Welfare Changes Helpline

Independent Welfare Changes Helpline is now available for anyone needing help or advice about any of the changes to the welfare system.

The helpline is operated by the Welfare Reform Advice Services Consortium (Citizens Advice, Advice NI and the Law Centre NI).

Phone: 0808 802 0020 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm)

Additional independent advisers will also be available across all 11 council areas in Northern Ireland and located in local Citizens Advice , and Advice NI offices to provide face-to-face help to anyone impacted by the changes to the welfare system.

In addition, specialist legal advice is available from the Law Centre and they can arrange access to specialist services when required. These services are free for anyone who needs help or advice about any of the changes to the welfare system.

Child Benefit Helpline  0300 200 3100

We can only discuss your claim with you personally. If your partner or someone else calls for you, we can only give them general advice - unless you have authorised them to act on your behalf. General help and advice with your Child Benefit -  Opening hours: 8.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday to Friday,   8.00 am to 4.00 pm Saturday,   Closed Sundays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.

Child Maintenance Choices 080 0028 7439

At Child Maintenance Choices we provide free, impartial information and support to help both parents make informed choices about child maintenance. The fact that we are impartial means that we are here to help both parents and we aren't biased towards any one way of arranging child maintenance. We can also offer practical information in areas linked to Child Maintenance, such as housing, employment and money. If you are a guardian, relative or friend, or if you have a professional interest, we may also be able to help.

Citizens Advice - Free Debt advice is available:

• by Freephone (free to mobiles and landlines) on 0800 028 1881

   (Monday - Friday 9.00am to 8.00am, Saturday 9.30am - 1.00pm)

• by contacting any of the 29 frontline Citizens Advice offices across Northern Ireland

• by email at debt.advice@citizensadvice.co.uk

Employers For Childcare  028 9267 8200 Freephone 0800 028 3008

Employers for Childcare is an award winning social enterprise, who aims to make it easier for parents with dependent children to get into work and to stay in work. We address childcare as an economic and a labour market issue.

Family Benefits and Advice Service – Freephone 0800 028 3008

Our Family Benefits Advisors provide free, impartial and confidential advice to help working parents maximise their income and make sure that they know their rights and entitlements. They can also carry out “better off” calculations to help parents make informed decisions about current or potential circumstances and to ensure it actually pays to work.

Housing Rights Helpline 028 9024 5640

Housing Rights Helpline  provides advice to members of the public on homelessness, social tenancies, renting privately, Housing Executive or housing association rent arrears. They also provide mortgage debt and repossession advice and representation at court.

Stepchange Debt Charity 0800 138 1111

Step Change Debt Charity  can help if you’re struggling with problem debt.  We are the UK’s leading debt charity, offering free independent expert advice and practical solutions.

Tax and Benefits Advice Service

Tax and Benefits Advice - Advice NI offers advice and support to members of the public and organisations, across Northern Ireland, struggling with issues relating to HMRC products and services, such as Tax Credits, Child Benefit, Self-Assessment, PAYE, Taxes (direct/indirect), National Insurance Contributions and National Minimum Wage.



Related Documents

Health and Social Care Trust Areas


Last Updated: 15/12/2022