How to contact us for advice

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Our advice service

Are you a parent, kinship carer relative or friend of a child who is involved with, or who needs the help of, children’s services in England? We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.

Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.

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By phone or email

To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.

Discuss on our forums

Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.

Advice on our website

Our get help and advice section has template letters, advice sheets and resources about legal and social care processes. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, you can use our webchat service to chat online to an adviser.

 

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Money, debt and welfare benefits

Child Maintenance Service

Government service that provides impartial information and support to help both parents make informed choices about child maintenance, and you can apply to them for statutory maintenance collection, for which they charge a fee, if required.

Website: https://www.gov.uk/child-maintenance
Freephone: 0800 171 2345
Welsh language: 0800 232 1979

Finance information and helplines

Employment Support

Telephone: 0800 328 5644
Textphone: 0800 023 1344

Child Benefit

Telephone: 0300 200 3100
Calling from abroad: +44 161 210 3086
(Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm)

Disability Living Allowance

DLA is ending for people who were born after 8 April 1948 and are 16 or over.
You can only make a new DLA claim if you’re under 16.

You’ll continue to get DLA until the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) writes to tell you about when it will end. The letter will invite you to apply for a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and tell you what to do next.

Personal Independence Payments

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps with some of the extra costs caused by long-term ill-health or a disability if you’re aged 16 to 64.

There are 2 parts to PIP:

  • a daily living part – if you need help with everyday tasks
  • a mobility part – if you need help with getting around

Whether you get one or both parts and how much you get depends on how difficult you find everyday tasks and getting around.

You’ll need an assessment to work out the level of help you get. Your rate will be regularly reassessed to make sure you’re getting the right support. Your carer could get Carer’s Allowance if you have substantial caring needs.

DWP – Personal Independence Payment claims

Telephone: 0800 917 2222
Textphone: 0800 917 7777
(Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm)

Carers and Disability

Check these pages to see what you might be able to claim and who to ring.

Website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/disability

Guardian’s Allowance

Telephone: 0300 322 9080
Textphone: 0300 200 3103

National Debtline

Telephone: 0808 808 4000
(Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm; Saturday, 9:30am to 1pm)
Website: https://www.nationaldebtline.org

Pensions Advice

Has information about different contact numbers depending on your query.

Pension Credit
Telephone: 0800 99 1234
Textphone: 0800 169 0133
(Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)

Universal Credit

Universal Credit has replaced a majority of benefits. Contact your local Jobcentre Plus or Tax Credits office who will tell you when you have to move to Universal Credit.

Website: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit
Universal Credit helpline
Telephone: 0800 328 5644
Textphone: 0800 328 1344
Welsh language: 0800 328 1744
(Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)

Child tax credits

Telephone: 0345 300 3900
Outside UK: +44 2890 538 192
(Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)

Working tax credits

Telephone: 0345 300 3900
Outside UK: +44 2890 538 192
(Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)

Lightning Reach

For individuals who may be struggling financially. They may be eligible to apply for financial support such as grants, local schemes and discounted tariffs. The secure Lightning Reach portal allows to find and apply for support from multiple providers, quickly and easily. Professionals can apply on behalf of their clients.

Web enquiry form: https://www.lightningreach.org/contact
Website: https://www.lightningreach.org/application-portal

Money A&E

Money advice and education to disadvantaged groups, diverse ethnic communities and young people.

Telephone: 0208 616 3750
Email: info@moneyaande.co.uk
Website: https://www.moneyaande.co.uk
For money and debt advice:
https://www.moneyaande.co.uk/money-coaches

National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (Citizens Advice)

Helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free independent and confidential information and advice from around 3,400 locations. The website tells you how to find your local CAB.

Adviceline (England): 0800 144 8848
Advicelink (Wales): 0800 702 2020
(Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Website:
 https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Turn2Us

Turn2Us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially. They provide information about benefits and grants via a webform.

Website: https://www.turn2us.org.uk

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