Accessing benefits can be complicated and overwhelming – especially if you’re disabled or have a mental health condition
Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest’s Welfare Rights team is here to support you and your interactions with the benefits system, by offering advice and long-term casework
We want to help you access the money you’re entitled to, so that you can focus on your wellbeing.
Fill in a referral form here
Find out how we can help with accessing benefits
What support can I get to help with my benefits?
Our team of Welfare Rights advisors are on hand to help reduce the stress surrounding the benefits system and to make sure that you can access the funds you’re entitled to
We can help with the following:
- Entitlement checks and better-off calculations
- Making the initial claim for benefits
- Filling out medical questionnaires
- Attending health assessments
- Managing your claim
- Disputing incorrect decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- Appealing and representing at First-Tier Social Security Tribunals
What benefits can you help me with?
Our team of Welfare Rights Advisors can offer support for the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
- Winter Fuel Payments
- Pension Credit
Freedom Pass, Blue Badge, and Taxi Card applications
Am I eligible to get support with my benefits?
Our service is free, independent, impartial and confidential. You can refer yourself for support using the button below, as long as you are:
- Aged 18 or over
- Live in Hackney, or are registered with a GP in Hackney
- Are experiencing a mental health condition
How can I get support with my benefits?
If you are a general community referral then please fill out the referral form above and indicate that you are looking for Benefits & Money troubles
If you are currently accessing NHS Enhanced Primary Care and have a Community Connector, ask them to arrange an appointment with the benefits adviser
If you are currently accessing NHS Secondary Care via the Donald Winnicott Centre or Vivienne Cohen House, ask your care coordinator, psychiatrist, or staff at reception to arrange an appointment with the benefits adviser