Tackling Poverty Team expansion
The North Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board has approved the use of £600,000 of funding to support the expansion of the Tackling Poverty Team, including its single point of contact helpline.
Work is already underway to add debt advisors, income maximisers, clerical support and a welfare rights advisor to the team, helping to expand helpline capacity.
If you are struggling, call the team now on 01698 332551 or email TPTeam@northlan.gov.uk
Tackling Poverty Team
Who we are
Our team can assist residents throughout North Lanarkshire with welfare benefits and money advice. The team includes a combination of welfare rights staff and debt advisers.
What we do
We provide a variety of support, including:
- general benefit advice in relation to all UK and Scottish Government administered benefits
- advice in relation to tax credits administered by HMRC
- carrying out benefit checks to ensure income is maximised
- help to complete benefit application forms
- support to challenge benefit decisions
- advice and representation for benefit appeals
- redundancy advice
How we can help you
Benefit checks
We are able to carry out free and confidential benefit checks to ensure that you are receiving your full and correct benefit entitlement.
You can use our benefit calculator tool to get an estimate of which benefits you may be entitled to. If, after using the benefit calculator, you need help completing an application form or you would like to ask a question about your benefit entitlement you can email TPteam@northlan.gov.uk.
Applications
When you apply for benefits, we can help you complete the application forms. We can also help you complete reviews for an existing benefit reward.
Challenging decisions
If you have been unsuccessful in applying for a benefit or are unhappy about a benefit decision you have received we are able to assist you through the process of challenging the decision.
You can request that a decision be looked at again - this is known as a 'mandatory reconsideration'. You need to ask the DWP for a mandatory reconsideration within one month of receiving your decision and you must provide reasons as to why you are asking for the reconsideration.
If you are still unhappy following the mandatory reconsideration decision you can make an appeal, which must be lodged within one month, directly to HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Representation
We provide representation at Appeal hearings and our Welfare Rights Officers will assist you in preparing for your appeal as well as attending the hearing with you to represent you.
If you require representation at an appeal it is important that you give us as much notice as possible in order for us to provide you with the best service possible.
