Specialist and targeted services
Macmillan Welfare Benefits Service
About the service:
The Macmillan service offers welfare benefit advice to anyone affected by cancer living in Guildford, Waverley & Surrey Heath. It will also take those with a terminal illness throughout Surrey. They can also help with additional advice such as housing and employment and will signpost to other services where relevant.
Our experienced advisors can answer your questions about claiming benefits and help explain what financial support, unemployment benefits or disability benefits you might be entitled to, such as Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Attendance Allowance (AA) or the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
They can also assist with:
- the benefits application process
- the benefits appeal process
- benefits eligibility criteria
- general benefits enquiries
When and where the service is available:
Face to face appointments can be arranged when required in our offices or at the Royal Surrey Hospital for clients referred through this project, as well as support on the phone and email.
Accessing the service / referrals:
You can access the service by calling 01483 230849 and leaving a message for the team who will get back to you, or emailing admin.macmillan@casws.org.uk
- You can also be referred by an organisation or health professional here
Client feedback
‘Dear Emma, Thank you so much for your call today and please let me thank you again for all your help which at this time, is invaluable. Your empathy, professionalism and knowledge certainly provided much relief after trying to deal with my recent news’
‘Thomas was very thorough and made applying for the help I needed so much easier than trying to work it out for myself. His advice has been excellent, and I feel that he has gone out of his way to provide the best he could, for example by calling regularly to see how my application was processing and providing me with additional advice and contact details for vehicle licensing queries’
‘The help I received was enormously helpful and we were overwhelmed at the time and would not have been able to navigate the applications without the tremendous help we were given which literally saved us from getting into debt and enabled us to help ourselves. Our family was a friend in need, Thank you’
Case Study
The client contacted Citizens Advice wanting help with a PIP claim as he had been turned down by the DWP. His wife was with him and had to do most of the communication due to his low mood. They were also on a very low income with 2 teenage children.
He had multiple health issues as well as a cancer diagnosis. He was referred internally to the Macmillan service.
It took from March 2022 to July 2022 to gain the clients trust and to reassure them that we were there to help.
We eventually completed a PIP mandatory reconsideration on a late submission in July (disputing the original decision). In September the client was awarded standard rate daily living and care. This was also backdated to the beginning of his original claim in June 2021. A huge back payment of £5548 and an ongoing weekly award of £86.30.
During this time, we also helped the client to claim ESA, backdated 3 months and a weekly award of £117.60 and apply to a food bank. We also applied for a Macmillan grant which was successful for £350.
Once his PIP had been awarded, we were able to make a claim for Carers allowance for his wife, resulting in a back payment of £2068 and an ongoing weekly award of £69.70.
We have also made a new claim for PIP as his health had deteriorated over the past 18 months and we expect a higher award.
Their combined income has been increased by £273.60 per week.
Brain Tumour Benefits and Money Clinic
About the service:
We’ve partnered with The Brain Tumour Charity to offer specialist benefits and money advice to people affected by brain tumours. Our Benefits and Money Clinic helps people affected by a brain tumour access the financial support they’re entitled to, as well as advice on how to make the most of their money.
Many people affected by a brain tumour have to give up working full-time and find it more difficult to earn a steady income.
For those with a brain tumour diagnosis, this might be because of symptoms and side-effects caused by their tumour or treatment – such as fatigue or cognitive difficulties. Carers may need to stop working because they now need to provide care throughout the day.
Our experienced advisors can answer your questions about claiming benefits and help explain what financial support, unemployment benefits or disability benefits you might be entitled to, such as Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Attendance Allowance (AA) or the Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
They can also assist with:
- the benefits application process
- the benefits appeal process
- benefits eligibility criteria
- general benefits enquiries.
When and where the service is available:
Telephone appointments are available from 10:00am to 4.00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Accessing the service / referrals:
You can book an appointment by going to The Brain Tumour Charity website here
Specialist Mental Health
About the service:
The mental health project is a Surrey wide project, we work in partnership with several other Citizens Advice offices in neighbouring local authorities. We currently employ 2 caseworkers on the project and is set up specifically to help those who are either receiving ongoing secondary mental health care or have done so within 6 the months prior to referral. Our service supports clients living in Guildford and Waverley with specialist advice on benefits, debt and housing. Other generalist advice can be given, as well as access to other Citizens Advice services.
When and where the service is available:
We provide support both remotely and in person at our offices in Guildford and Ash. Outreach advice appointments are available at the Redwood Centre, Farnham Road on Monday mornings and at Berkeley House, Godalming on a Wednesday afternoon.
Accessing the service / referrals:
When you contact us for support through our normal routes, we’ll consider if you need a referral to this service. You can also be referred by:
- health and community organisations such as the Community Mental Health Teams, Social Workers, Social prescribers, Guildford Action, Surrey County Council
No-one left behind
About the service:
We have one caseworker and one adviser working for us as part of Surrey County Council’s “No one left behind” scheme. The project is set up to help mitigate and manage the impacts of poverty to help improve health, wellbeing and life chances – with a particular focus on support in communities through outreach. They specialise in benefits and debt advice, but can help with other issues such as housing, financial capability, issuing food vouchers and can help people with applications for charitable grants.
When and where the service is available:
There are currently two outreach services as part of the scheme. One of these is at The Hive in the Park Barn area of Guildford every Wednesday morning and every other Wednesday afternoon. The other outreach service is at the Merrow Methodist Church, that runs on Tuesday mornings, apart from the first Tuesday of the month. Appointments can also be arranged in our Guildford and Ash offices for clients referred through this project, as well as support on the phone and email.
Accessing the service / referrals:
When you contact us for support through our normal routes, we’ll consider if you need a referral to this service. You can also be referred by:
- Surrey County Council community helpline team (0300 200 1008)
- Action for Carers
Homelessness prevention
Money Advice
About the service:
Our homelessness prevention project currently has 2 caseworkers working to help clients who are at risk of eviction. They provide housing, debt, benefits and budgeting advice, with the aim of either keeping people in their homes, helping them find suitable alternative social housing or giving them an understanding of what help they could get if privately renting.
When and where the service is available:
Appointments can be arranged in our Guildford and Ash offices for clients referred through this project, as well as support on the phone and email.
Accessing the service / referrals:
When you contact us for support through our normal routes, we’ll consider if you need a referral to this service. You can also be referred by:
- Guildford Borough Council
Temporary accommodation targeted service
About the service:
The purpose of this service is to help people in temporary accommodation or rough. We will help the clients attempt to maximise their income and budget accordingly so that they can make regular payments towards their arrears, whilst addressing any other debt that they have.
When and where the service is available:
We currently have a service at Vaughan House in Guildford and plan to expand this project by offering further support at other locations soon. We may be able to do visits to hostels where needed.
Appointments can also be arranged in our Guildford and Ash offices for clients referred through this project, as well as support on the phone and email.
Accessing the service/referrals:
You can access the service directly themselves at one of our outreaches, or when you contact us for support through our normal routes, we’ll consider if you need a referral to this service. You can also be referred by:
- GBC
- Riverside Housing
Specialist debt advice
About the service:
Our Money and Pension Service (MaPS) project is designed to specifically help people who are either struggling with, or at risk of struggling with debt. We have one full time debt adviser working on the project, focusing on helping clients to maximise their income, budget sensibly, and make affordable repayment arrangements for the money that they owe. Clients can be helped to get informal holds on action from creditors, and we can also help them apply for a “breathing space” that gives them a 60 day hold on any action by any creditor to enforce a debt. In some cases, clients are helped to have their debts written off through insolvency, or even by writing to creditors to request a write off due to their vulnerability.
When and where the service is available:
Appointments can be arranged in our Guildford and Ash offices for clients referred through this project, as well as support on the phone and email.
Accessing the service/referrals:
When you contact us for support through our normal routes, we’ll consider if you need a referral to this service.