Issue - meetings

Help and advice for local residents, followed by questions from the floor

FolaOluwole, Welfare Benefit and Debt Management Specialist of the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, provided the Area Assembly with a presentation regarding the Reaping the Benefits Project.  This project, jointly established in February 2007 by Haringey Council’s Neighbourhood Management Service and the Haringey Citizens’ Advice Bureau, seeks to maximise income and provide debt counselling outreach work to hard to reach groups in the three most deprived wars in Haringey, Bruce Grove, Noel Park and Northumberland Park.

The Assembly noted the objectives outlined by Fola for the second year of the project included –

·        To provide advice and advocacy for 400 new clients to increase benefit take up, maximise their income, minimise impact of unmanageable debt

·        To promote the project through a minimum of three events

·        To advise and assist clients into work

·        To provide sessions on a weekly basis at various venues within the target areas and test ways of delivering advice services to maximise uptake of benefits for target groups

·        To promote service to single people who were identified as a target group during the first year.

·        To ensure the service meets the needs of new and hard to reach communities

It was also noted that older people, particularly, do not claim all the benefits that they are entitled to. To access the service residents were encouraged to take the leaflets available at the meeting and phone the Bureau to arrange an appointment.