Benefits advice and assessment
Your family could benefit.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit - more help for families.
From 2nd November 2009, the government introduced a rule change for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, which means more families will entitled to help with paying their Rent and Council Tax.
Child Benefit is no longer counted as household income when the council calculates Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit entitlement. So people who have narrowly missed out on help in the past may now find that they are entitled to awards of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
To see if you qualify, call our benefit take-up line on 01506 776453 or drop in to speak to an adviser at the Advice Shop, Waverley Industrial Estate, Bathgate.
Advice shop services: The Advice Shop can help you with checking that your current benefits are correct, advising you what benefits to claim and how to claim them, form filling, taking your claim further if you have been refused a benefit and representation at tribunal. The Advice Shop also offers advice on employment problems and problems with debt and advisers are available to discuss a range of advice, including welfare advice matters.
There is no fee involved for any assistance from the Advice Shop.
Advice Shop contact details:
Units 9-12,
Waverley Industrial Estate,
Bathgate,
EH48 4HY
Telephone - 01506 776444 (main Advice Shop number) or 01506 776800 (for housing or council tax benefit information)
Fax - 01506 776448
Opening times:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - 9.00-5.00, Wednesday - 9.00-1.00 and Friday - 9.00-4.00
The Advice Shop can help you with:
- Filling in forms
- Checking that your benefits are correct
- Advising you what benefits to claim and how to claim them
- Helping to take your claim further if you have been refused a benefit
- Dealing with creditors on your behalf
- Explaining your options when you have financial problems and advise you on what course to take
- Negotiating payment agreements with creditors on your behalf
- Representing you if your are taken to court
- Matters to do with your contract of employment
- Advising you of your employment rights
- Helping you if you have been discriminated against
- Advice on maternity rights
- Helping you to prepare your case if you think you have been unfairly dismissed and representing you if you need to go to a tribunal
- Energy Advice
Housing Benefit helps people on low incomes with their rent. There are two kinds of Housing Benefit - Rent Rebate for council tenants and Rent Allowance for private tenants.
Council Tax Benefit helps people on low incomes to pay their Council Tax. In West Lothian these benefits are administered by the council's Revenues Unit.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are national welfare benefits which are administered by Local Authorities on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Housing Benefit Information for Landlords
Our Getting the Benefit A Guide to Housing Benefit for Landlords answers the most common questions that private landlords have about Housing Benefit Claims.
Housing and Council Tax benefits advice
Housing and Council Tax Benefit - find out if you are entitled to benefit.
Local Housing Allowance
A new way of working out and paying Housing Benefit for tenants of private landlords.)
Councillors
West Lothian is made up of nine multi-member wards, with a total of 32 councillors.
