Welfare Rights

What We Do

Broadway's Welfare Rights Team provides benefit advice, casework and welfare rights training to Broadway staff, clients and partner agencies.  Current partners include the KeySupport Service (Haringey), Drug Intervention Project (Hammersmith and Fulham), St Giles Trust and Southwark Reach. 

Our aim is to promote the financial inclusion of homeless and vulnerable people.  We do this by improving their financial status, assisting clients to establish benefit entitlement and maximising their income. We also aim to increase client confidence in understanding and being able to manage their benefit issues.

The Service We Provide

Direct support for clients and staff

• One-off advice to clients and their support workers
• Casework
• External liaison with the Department for Work and Pensions, local councils; medical services
• Representation at Appeal Tribunal
• Referrals to other agencies if we cannot pursue a client's case
• Mental health welfare rights service in Bromley
• Welfare rights and training for volunteers and young offenders (in partnerhsip with St Giles Trust)

An accessible service

• Our outreach service is reflective of client need, including home visits for housebound clients, translation and interpreting services 

Training and information

• Training courses for staff on benefits. For more information, please click here.
• Quartely Welfare Rights Forums
• Quartely newsletter - Welfare Rights News
  

Welfare Rights Key Figures 09/10

• £1,795,292 – the total financial gains on behalf of  Welfare Rights clients
  

• 57 – the total number of clients represented at appeal hearings
  

• 85% of appeals won. Research on Rightsnet reported that nationally only 35% of Employment and Support Allowance appeals are being won by appellants.
  

• 475 – the estimated number of Welfare Rights clients