You may be eligible for welfare benefits due to your circumstances. There are local and national organisations that can provide information, including Southend Citizens Advice Bureau, The Money Advice Service , the Gov.uk website, or by contacting Southend Borough Council either on the website or calling Tel: 01702 215001

The Welfare Reform Act came into force in 2012 and is due to be fully in place by 2020.  What will this act change?

• It introduces Universal Credit, which will be a single streamlined benefit.
• It replaces Disability Living Allowance with Personal Independence Payment.
• It introduces the Benefit Cap, which will cap the amount of benefit that can be claimed for working age people.
• It introduces size criteria framework for working age people who rent from Housing Associations, or rent a council property. This is to stop people from living in properties that are too big for their needs.
• It has created a new, localised scheme for managing Council Tax Reduction.
• It has changed the Social Fund scheme, which was managed by the Department for Work and Pensions.

To find out if you could be eligible for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, please visit the Benefits Page of the Southend Borough Council website for information and application details, or call the Council on: 01702 215001