The Action Group’s advice team provides information, advice and practical assistance to people with learning disabilities or other support needs and their carers on a range of issues including;

-          Welfare Rights Advice

-          Housing Advice and Support,

-          Financial Inclusion,

-          A Black and Ethnic Minorities Advice Service for children and their families (link to new page coming soon)

-          A Black and Ethnic Minority young people’s ‘Transitions’ Project (link to new page coming soon)

We know that these groups can face additional barriers to accessing advice so we deliver a service which is designed around the needs of the people we support. For example we;

-          Routinely visit people in their homes if this suits them best,

-          Give practical assistance such as filling out forms, and making phone calls,

-          Offer pro-active help: for example, contacting people when we expect them to have heard back from a benefit agency or professional and following it up on their behalf if they haven’t,

-          Are well networked with other professionals and agencies so can refer people on for additional services such as support at home, charitable funds and play-schemes. 

All of or services are free, independent and confidential.

In the past year;

-          We have worked with 281 households,

-          We have dealt with 762 new enquiries and carried out 3,512 pieces of follow up work,

-          We have made over 306 home visits,

-          Represented clients at 29 appeals, of which 76% were successful,

-          We have generated £833,084.55 for users of the service,

-          Ran 35 benefit training courses, 70% of these were to external agencies (including Housing Associations, Charities, and Employment Support Agencies across Scotland)

We are happy to translate our information into other languages, and to provide interpreters, this can be arranged through our advisers.

Big Lottery Funding Announcement!

The Action Group is delighted to announce a new project, funded by a grant from The Big Lottery, which will work to tackle disadvantage and financial exclusion across the Lothians.  The Welfare Rights and Financial Inclusion project will help people who have learning disabilities, autism / aspergers syndrome, mental health issues and other support needs, and their families / carers, to access correct benefit entitlements, navigate changes to the benefits system and reduce barriers to financial inclusion.  We will also work with people to increase their ‘financial resilience’: building skills and confidence in dealing with money issues wherever possible.  This five-year funding award presents a fantastic opportunity to extend the work of The Action Group to meet real need and effect meaningful and lasting change in the lives of the people we support.

We expect to have this project up and running by January 2012.

 VIEW NEWSPAPER ARTICLE HERE::  'the Edinburgh Reporter on Big Lottery Funding’

Contacts/Who We Are

Andy Foreman, Development Manager This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Jo Kirby, Advice Services Manager This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

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