Team Advice
Accessing benefits and the supports you need can be difficult. So, at The Action Group, we have Advice services to help people.
Our advisers are welcoming and supportive of everybody. They take the time to listen to people, to understand what is going on in their lives and what might help make life good or better. Where people want us to, we can connect them to other types of support that could help.
We are well trained so that we can give good, accurate advice. We have specialist knowledge of benefits for adults and children with support needs and Carers.
Our services are free, independent and confidential. We can offer home visits and interpreters when needed.
Who can we help?
People who get their support from The Action Group
(wherever they live)
Parent carers living in Edinburgh
People who are supported by the All In Edinburgh employability service and FUSE
Tenants of Almond Housing Association
Here at The Action Group, we're always happy to help!
Benefits
Our Welfare Rights Service works across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Falkirk. It is for adults and children with support needs and those they live with.
The service provides advice on all welfare benefits and tax credits. It is free, independent and confidential. We can offer home visits and interpreters wherever needed.
We can help you with:
Benefit Checks
Making sure you are getting all of the benefits that you are entitled to.
Scenarios
We can give you the information you need to make informed choices about which benefits are best for you and how changes in your life might affect these benefits (for example, starting work).
Appeals
We can represent you at benefit appeals, including gathering evidence and writing a formal submission on your behalf.
Wider Support and Wellbeing
We can connect you to other sources of support that can help you. For example: Money Advice, grants and help with managing energy bills.
Claims & Forms
We can help you make new claims and complete benefit forms.
Challenging Decisions
We can help you ask benefits agencies to look at their decisions again. (This is called a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ for UK benefits or a ‘redetermination’ for Scottish benefits).
Passported Benefits
We can give you information about any other entitlements you are eligible. For example: a blue badge.
Contact Us
You can call us on 0131 285 5207 (and ask for a member of the advice service) or email advice@actiongroup.org.uk Please let us know if there is anything you need that will make to service feel safe and accessible for you.
Advice and Support for Parent Carers in Edinburgh
BEMAS* (Black and Ethnic Minority Advice Service) and Parents Carewell
Whether you are new to caring and need help to find what is out there or are very experienced and need some extra support or advice – our friendly team are here for you.
For more information about what advice we can provide, please have a read of the sections below.
If you are a parent/carer seeking advice, take a look at the PDF on the right, or click the button below to fill out our referral form.
We can help Parents Carers with:
Make sure that you are on all the right benefits: Help you claim benefits you are missing out on and appeal decisions
Support you through difficult times
Provide information on statutory services that could help (like Housing, Education and Social Work)
Provide information and support at different times in your loved-one’s life: from early months and years, to starting school, leaving school, leaving home and beyond.
Connect you with other sources of support (like funding, activities, parent carer support groups and wellbeing support) that could make life a bit easier.
Whether you are new to caring and need help to find what is out there or are very experienced and need some extra support or advice – our friendly team are here for you.
Email: careradvice@actiongroup.org.uk with your contact details or call 0131 285 5207 and ask for a member of the carer advice team to give you a call back. (Please let us know if there is anything you need to help make the service feel safe and accessible for you).
*BEMAS exists because we know that carers and families from Black and Ethnic Minority communities and people new to the country, face additional barriers to accessing the supports they need. BEMAS offers one-to-one advice, information and support to Carers on a wide range of topics. We also run regular Carers Meetings.