After strong demand for free places at the first of our new online benefits advice workshops, we are opening bookings for a series of extra dates on Mondays in July.
Our Understanding Your Benefits Rights workshops help parents and carers and autistic adults to understand their entitlement to benefits and how to make an application.
We strongly recommend that you get in touch with us and take part in a workshop before starting any application for benefits, to help increase the likelihood of a favourable decision from the Department for Work & Pensions.
The Understanding Your Benefits Rights workshops, which will all run from 10am to 1pm on Mondays, will cover the same topics as the face-to-face sessions that we normally hold at our office in Reading.
The first online workshop, on Monday, June 15, about applying for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – which is for children aged up to 15 – is now fully booked, but places are available at the following benefits advice workshops:
- Monday, June 29: For autistic young people and adults aged 16+, and their parents and carers, looking at applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit – click here to register for places.
- Monday, July 6: Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – click here to register
- Monday, July 13: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – click here to register
- Monday, July 20: Universal Credit and Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) – click here to register
- Monday, July 27: Disability Living Allowance (DLA) – click here to register
Our advisers are also still available to help with your enquiries about the benefits listed above and to provide individual advice about mandatory reconsiderations and appeals if initial applications are turned down.
They can also help with applications for Carer’s Allowance – the Government has relaxed some of the rules about this benefit during the coronavirus lockdown, so please contact us for advice about whether you may now be eligible to apply.
To contact our Benefits Service, email benefits@autismberkshire.org.uk or call 01189 594 594 (option 2) and leave a message, including your contact details. One of our advisers will get in touch to discuss how they can help.
- Please note that the workshops taking place in July are using a new booking system on our website. If you experience any difficulties when trying to register for places please email communications@autismberkshire.org.uk
The Benefits Service is being supported during the coronavirus outbreak by grants from the Charities Aid Foundation’s CAF Tourle Foundation Fund; the Louis Baylis Maidenhead Advertiser Trust; Tesco Bags of Help; and Berkshire Community Foundation.
