Services

We provide practical advice and assistance to people who primarily live in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea.  In the year to 31st March 2009 we assisted 7,133 clients with 8,958 enquiries, dealing with 14,633 issues and making 23,459 contacts with or on behalf of clients.

In addition to our core general advice and information service, we currently have specialist voluntary advisers to draft wills, deal with insurance enquiries and cases of mortgage shortfall.  We have one volunteer who fills in DLA and AA forms for clients who need help to do this.  We can prepare Statutory Declarations including for changes of name (over 16s only). 

We have a contract with the Legal Services Commission for publicly funded legal services in Housing and Welfare Benefits. In the year to 31st March 2009 we opened 870 new matter starts for clients eligible for legal aid. The work we did with those clients prevented homelessness, helped clients manage rent arrears and assisted clients to obtain the welfare benefits they were entitled to.  We also endeavour to look at client's problems holistically, e.g. "Could a previously unidentified entitlement to a tax rebate clear a mortgage arrears problem?"   

We have a contract with the Adult & Community Services Directorate of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council (Social Services) for the provision of welfare benefits advice to clients who are not eligible for legal aid.     

Through the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) we are able to offer a debt casework service to clients who meet the FIF eligibility criteria.