How our Financial Inclusion team can help
There’s a lot of information around and it can be difficult to work out what it means for you. Our Financial Inclusion team can help. The team offers free, impartial and confidential advice and support to all local residents.
Financial Inclusion Officers can:
- carry out a benefit health check to let you know what benefits or grants you may be entitled to and help you apply
- check you are getting the right amount of benefit
- provide help if you have been sanctioned by The Department for Work & Pensions
- help you to appeal a decision if you’ve recently had a benefit claim turned down
- provide advice about flexible options available if you’re claiming Universal Credit (UC), such as switching to twice-monthly payments or having your rent paid direct to your landlord
- help you prepare a budget plan and organise your bills, including setting up Direct Debits to pay priority bills
- provide help if you’re regularly using a foodbank or relying on crisis grants
- offer a Macmillan cancer support service to support the financial needs of East Lothian residents and their families affected by cancer
- provide employment advice and practical support to help people understand the implications on their household income of taking up employment or training opportunities
Between April and October 2022, the Financial Inclusion team secured £1,289,294.52 in annual benefit gains for 263 clients. This equates to an average of £4,902.26 additional annual income for these clients, much of which may have gone unclaimed without their support.
Visit our Financial Inclusion pages
Phone 01620 827 827 and ask for Financial Inclusion.