Borough Life Autum 2006: Making sure you feel the benefit
Claiming benefits just got a whole lot easier…
Wigan Council has joined forces with Age Concern, Wigan Independent Advice Centre (WIAC) and the Pension Service to make life simpler for residents who want to claim help with their rent and council tax.
Staff are now trained to be able to accept applications and check evidence for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claims.
The joint approach puts an end to clients having to be passed from one organisation to another, and means they don’t have to produce the same information and valuable documents over and over again.
Wigan Council cabinet member for improvement, Cllr Terry Halliwell, said: “We want to encourage people to take up these benefits if they are entitled to them.
“By working in partnership with Age Concern, WIAC and the Pension Service, the amount of money being obtained for local people has increased dramatically.
“But we know there are still more who have a right to help and we want to make sure they don’t miss out. This latest initiative will make life easier for even more people.”
Locally, Age Concern says that the partnership approach has brought in an extra £4.5 million of help for local residents in the past five years. In some cases household income has gone up by over £200 a week.
Could you claim?
If you want help or advice, contact:
- Wigan Council’s benefits team on 01942 828644
- The Pension Service on 0845 6060265
- Wigan Independent Advice Centre 01942 494451
- Age Concern (for those aged 55 or over) Wigan 01942 241972
- Leigh 01942 607337