Benefits and Workplace Support

We understand that immigration status, disability, employment and access to public support can overlap. Our benefits-related service is limited to administrative help, general information and signposting. It is not specialist welfare-rights advice, financial advice, representation at a tribunal or a guarantee of entitlement.

Where appropriate, we can provide practical help with the administrative side of a Universal Credit claim, including:

• setting up or navigating an online account;
• organising and uploading documents supplied by the client;
• helping the client record earnings, housing or change-of-circumstance information accurately;
• supporting the client to understand and respond to journal messages in their own words;
• preparing questions for the Department for Work and Pensions; and
• signposting to a qualified welfare-rights adviser where entitlement, calculation, sanctions, disputes or appeals require specialist advice.

We do not decide entitlement and cannot guarantee that a claim will be accepted or paid.

We can help an applicant organise the practical information needed for an Access to Work enquiry or application, such as:

• employment and workplace details;
• information about disability, health conditions and workplace barriers supplied by the applicant;
• supporting documents relating to equipment, travel, communication or a support worker;
• questions for the Access to Work case manager; and
• administrative follow-up, document upload or renewal organisation within the agreed service.

Access to Work makes its own eligibility and funding decisions. We cannot guarantee an award or any particular level of support.

We can explain where official information and claim forms can be found and help clients organise documents for their own use. We do not provide specialist Personal Independence Payment assessments, Mandatory Reconsideration arguments, welfare-benefit appeals or tribunal representation. Clients needing that service should be referred to a suitably qualified welfare-rights organisation or adviser.

We can help clients identify the appropriate council, housing service or independent advice organisation and organise information for an enquiry. We do not provide specialist housing-law or welfare-benefit representation unless separately authorised and competent to do so.

Where a client’s immigration status includes a No Recourse to Public Funds condition, or where claiming support may affect an immigration matter, we can advise only within our current IAA authorisation and competence. Complex public-funds, human-rights or condition-change issues may require supervision or referral to an appropriately authorised adviser.

We can provide accessible administrative help to clients who find online forms, uploads or digital accounts difficult. The client remains responsible for the truth and accuracy of the information submitted. We do not create evidence, coach a client to give inaccurate information or make decisions for the relevant authority.

Clients should check current information on GOV.UK, including official benefit calculators, Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Access to Work and the public-funds guidance. Rules, rates, forms and deadlines can change, so current official information should be checked before action is taken.

We do not provide specialist welfare-benefit challenge or appeal representation. We can help the client locate the decision letter, note any stated deadline, organise documents and seek prompt advice from a qualified welfare-rights adviser, local advice centre or other appropriate organisation.

• Administrative support appointment: practical help with online accounts, forms and document organisation within an agreed scope.
• Document organisation: arranging the client’s records so they are ready for an official enquiry or specialist adviser.
• Immigration and benefits overlap: regulated immigration advice on public-funds implications only where the issue falls within our IAA authorisation and competence.