Help with claiming welfare benefits

Herefordshire Council's Welfare and Financial Assessment Team can help older people, people with an illness or disability and carers to check that they are getting all of the benefits that they may be entitled to and where appropriate help with claiming these benefits.

The Welfare and Financial Assessment Team also work with the local Pension Service as a "Joint Team" for older people. To find out more about the "Joint Team" please go to the older people page.

If you would like help to claim a benefit or a benefit check to be carried out to then please complete the Welfare Benefits Referral form.  You can also refer on behalf of other people using the Welfare Benefits Referral form. 

As well as helping with benefits, the Welfare and Financial Assessment Team also carry out assessments under the Blue Badge scheme (parking badges for disabled people) for people who are unable to get into the Council's INFO centres.

If you are in residential care or have home care or day care services paid for by the Council, the Welfare and Financial Assessment Team will carry out a financial assessment of your income and expenditure. The Social Care Finance Team will then notify you what, if any, contribution you may have to make towards these services. When we come to do the financial assessment we also carry out a benefit check for you, to make sure you are getting all of the benefits you are entitled to. For more information about paying for services please go to the home care page.

If you need to provide documents to support benefit claims or financial assessment, we can also help you with this by verifying them on behalf of the Council or the Department for Work and Pensions.

We are also members of the Herefordshire Signposting Scheme and have been trained to identify other services that will make life easier and safer for older people and people with an illness or disability. We will arrange for you to be contacted by these service providers.