Member Article

Pioneering Caseworker Secures £54,000 for Byker Residents

In just nine months a pioneering caseworker at the Byker Community Trust (BCT) has helped local residents to secure over £54,000 in benefits that they were fully entitled to, but had either been refused or not made a claim for.

Andrew Young joined the BCT in January this year, on secondment from Newcastle Citizens’ Advice Bureau, to take on the role of Welfare Benefits Caseworker. Since then he has worked with more than 190 residents to assist them with benefit queries and problems, offering clear and straightforward advice on issues that can often be extremely complex for local residents.

“The benefits system here in the UK is already very complex and constant changes, such as the Bedroom Tax and Universal Credit, are making things even more confusing,” said Andrew. “My day to day role is to help people make their way through the benefits minefield, finding out what they might be entitled to and helping them to claim.

“These are people with a genuine need and entitlement who often don’t know what benefits they qualify for, or are too wary to apply for them. A good example is Attendance Allowance, which many elderly and disabled residents are simply unaware of.”

“As a housing organisation that allows tenants to have influence over how their estate is managed, their best interests are right at the heart of what we do,” said Jill Haley, Chief Executive of the BCT. “One of our key aims is to maximise income for our tenants and the idea for Andrew’s role emerged from discussions with CAB regarding how we could offer tenants better support through these difficult economic times.

“Andrew knows the benefits system inside out and he’s able to provide invaluable advice to our residents. This has included guiding some people through the claims process, including tribunals and appeals, where he has helped to prepare their case and gone along with them on the day. When you’re up against DWP legal teams whose brief is to defend the reasons for rejection, specialist knowledge and experience are key assets.

Andrew is also able to provide advice on short-term solutions such as emergency payments, Discretionary Housing Payments, furniture schemes and food banks, which are all lifelines that BCT residents may turn to in times of crisis. He can work with people who have had benefits overpaid and liaise with the DWP on how the situation can be resolved. To find out more about the BCT and Andrew’s role, visit www.bykercommunitytrust.org.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sarah Shannon .