Oxfordshire Specialist Advice Service
Working in partnership with AgeUK, West Oxfordshire Citizens Advice and Oxford Citizens Advice, Oxfordshire Specialist Advice Service (OSAS) provides a dedicated telephone advice line and email service, which aims to answer queries around benefits, money advice, budgeting and other welfare issues and links into services that can provide further support. Our role in the partnership is to provide 2nd tier welfare benefits support by way of a referral system for Tribunal representation, training on social security law for other agencies and a telephone consultancy line.
The service is free for people to use. It is jointly funded by Adult Social Care and Children, Education and Families, so it is focused on meeting the needs of people living in Oxfordshire who are struggling with their day-to-day lives due to disability or ill health.
Under this project we have assisted 112 people to secure £ £948,388.20 of additional income.
Access to Justice Foundation
We were successful in our application for 21-month funding through the Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support (IOTLS) grant.
The grant supports our work to sustain and improve access to early social welfare and family legal advice, specialist casework and where court or tribunal proceedings are needed, provide the support needed to help people navigate the process effectively
Thames Water - Water Matters Partnership
Working with the Agnes Smith Advice Centre we provide debt advice and casework to residents rooted in the most disadvantaged communities in Oxford, will work together to help residents more effectively manage their debt and achieve greater financial independence. It specifically incorporates advice to clients on managing their water bills and raises awareness of the help available from Thames Water customer schemes.
Brethertons
We work with the spinal litigation team providing welfare benefits advice, casework and tribunal representation to their clients nationally.
Turpin & Miller LLP
We work closely with Turpin & Miller's housing team in order for our service users to access specialist housing advice. Face to face appointments with a housing solicitor can be made every fortnight on a Wednesday afternoon. To discuss your housing issues and to make an appointment, please call us on 01865 744165
Working Together
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