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.

Older people can now get help with claiming benefits during one single visit to their home. All team members have a wide range of experience in working out benefit entitlements and helping people claim the right benefits.

What you can expect from us

• We will be polite and helpful at all times.
• If we are coming to see you we will tell you the date and time of the visit, and the name of the officer who will be visiting.
• Staff will be clearly identifiable by wearing or producing Herefordshire Council or Pension Service identification.

What we do

Working together as a Joint Team, we share information with each other. This makes it easier to check your entitlement to benefits, and improves the service delivered by Herefordshire Council and the Pension Service.

We can help you with filling in forms for any benefits that we think you might be entitled to.

We will 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, we 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.

If you need to provide documents to support benefit claims or financial assessments, 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. We will arrange for you to be contacted by these service providers.

We can help you with any of the following benefits:

Name of benefit / concession	Type of benefit	Description
Attendance Allowance	Not income based: for those aged 65 or over	Intended to help with the cost of care
Bereavement Benefit	National Insurance based	For widows and widowers
Carer's Allowance	Not income based, but can be effected by earnings & other benefits	Paid to the carer of someone who gets Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance, care component at middle or high rate
Disability Living Allowance	Not income based	Intended to help with the cost of care &/or mobility
Housing & Council Tax Benefit	Income based	Intended to help with the cost of rent & council tax
State Retirement Pension	National Insurance Based	Intended to provide basic pension during retirement
Pension Credit (Guaranteed)	Income based for those aged 60 or over	To top up basic pension to meet minimum level set by government
Pension Credit (Savings)	Income based for those aged 65 or over	A bonus element to provide extra income for those who have saved
Blue Badge	Mobility related	Parking concession for people with permanent and substantial disability

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.

If you don't want us to visit you at home, you can make an appointment to see us at one of our information points. Please telephone us to arrange a convenient time.