Welfare benefits

• Adviceguide - from Citizens Advice, huge site with advice and information for people in England and Wales and in Scotland, information by subject, alphabetically and by search facility.
  
  
• Age Concern England - large number of useful factsheets, news and services, Freephone: 0800 00 99 66.
  
  
• Appeals Service - for Social Security, Child Support and Vaccine Damage, includes FAQs, appeal information, links to large national advisory groups.
  
  
• Benefits for schools or college leavers - general guide to benefits, including housing benefit, council tax, income support, Jobseekers allowance, child benefit, mainly aimed at younger leavers, from the DWP.
  
  
• Child Benefit - information and online claim facility, also information about the Guardian's Allowance.
  
  
• Child Support Agency - including Frequently Asked Questions, publications and links.
  
  
• Claiming DLA and Attendance Allowance - detailed advice on claiming Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, from Benefits Now.
  
  
• Department for Work and Pensions - information on all benefits and pensions, including finding your local office, information for advisers, A - Z of benefits and services, including general guidance on students in the advisers' section.
  
  
• EntitledTo - online calculators to help work out your entitlement to benefits and tax credits, including child trust fund, educational maintenance allowance, child benefit, tax credits, pension credit, disabled people and carers' benefits, council tax and housing benefit, maternity and paternity rights, out of work benefits, sure start.
  
  
• Ferret Information Systems Ltd. - software for welfare benefits calculations to buy, site also includes online general benefits adviser to check if you are entitled to benefits (for tenants and owner-occupiers only) + news and links to other resources on law, social welfare and government.
  
  
• Funderfinder - a well regarded software package for identifying UK charities, trusts and grants. The site also has a very useful set of links to trusts online. This software is often available at local Centres for Voluntary Organisations and local advice services and colleges.
  
  
• Help the Aged - includes information on Paying For Residential Care, Welfare Benefits For Carers, Can You Claim It and Questions On Pensions, and welfare rights and advice service.
  
  
• Jobcentre Plus - bringing together Jobcentres and Benefit Offices, information on job hunting, benefits, programmes, advice on making a claim, services for employers, allowances and benefits, links to other relevant sites.
  
  
• Jobseeker's Allowance - information for students from the Unemployment Unit, including the Student Questionnaire.
  
  
• Income support for disabled students - very useful information sheet from Skill, with helpful information for other people on income support.
  
  
• Just Ask! - online directory of advice services and solicitors, legal information and advice from a range of websites and information about the Community Legal Service.
  
  
• Legal Aid Calculator - use to check if you are eligible for CLS-funded help (formerly civil legal aid).
  
  
• Lisson Grove Benefits Program - information about various benefits programmes for advisors, online quick benefits calculator and child support calculator for advisors, also benefit information and links.
  
  
• NACRO - news items on benefits for offenders and families.
  
  
• National Asylum Support Service - government agency to apply policies relating to asylum seekers and providing some accommodation, financial and other support.
  
  
• NASMA (National Association of Student Money Advisers) - mainly for HE, site includes events, links and members' area.
  
  
• National Debtline - site includes information pack, repayment calculator and personal budget sheet, sample letters, FAQs, debt advice (England and Wales, Scotland) and factsheets. Service now open Mon-Fri 9.00am-9.00pm, Sat 9.30am-1.00pm. Self-help materials and information by telephone at Freephone 0808 808 4000 and at 0121 703 6912/13/14/15 and by email at advice@nationaldebtline.co.uk
  
  
• nusonline - National Union of Students has good resources for students and advisers online.
  
  
• New Deal - government site, includes details of all programmes, questions and answers and information for providers.
  
  
• RightsNet - useful information and news on welfare rights and benefits issues, FAQs (frequently asked questions), policies and proposals, including information for asylum seekers, Jobseeker's Allowance, site also includes a discussion forum and useful reviews and consultation papers.
  
  
• Student Awards Agency for Scotland - for Further and Higher Education students in Scotland.
  
  
• SKILL (The National Bureau for Students with Disabilities) - excellent factsheets and answers to Frequently Asked Questions on student finance, including benefits information on incapacity benefit and studying, income support for students with disabilities and information on Council Tax and Housing Benefit, also jobsearch information and lists of organisations and contacts. Skill also has an email request form for further enquiries.
  
  
• Studying and claiming benefits as "incapable of work" - helpful and comprehensive information sheet for disabled students, from Skill.
  
  
• Studying while on benefits - useful outline of how studying affects the key benefits from Wiltshire College.
  
  
• Tax Credits Online - information about tax credits and by registering you can check and renew applications.

Resources for advisers

• Appeals Service - for Social Security, Child Support and Vaccine Damage, includes FAQs, appeal information, links to large national advisory groups.
  
  
• Benefits Law - key legal decisions provided by law-index@swarb.co.uk. The site also has a wide variety of other sections including education law.
  
  
• Directory of Social Change - key publications on charities and trusts, also training events.
  
  
• Ferret Information Systems Ltd. - software for welfare benefits calculations to buy, site also includes online general benefits adviser to check if you are entitled to benefits (for tenants and owner-occupiers only) + news and links to other resources on law, social welfare and government.
  
  
• Funderfinder - a well regarded software package for identifying UK charities, trusts and grants. The site also has a very useful set of links to trusts online.
  
  
• Homing In - newsletter from the Scottish Youth Housing Network, including benefits update.
  
  
• Legal Services Commission - responsible for the Community Legal Service which replaces the old civil scheme of legal aid, bringing together networks of funders (e.g. Local Authorities) and suppliers into partnerships and the Criminal Defence Service which replaced the old system of criminal legal aid to provide criminal defence services to people suspected or accused of crimes.
  
  
• Lisson Grove Benefits Program - information about various benefits programmes for advisors, online quick benefits calculator and child support calculator for advisors, also benefit information and links.
  
  
• NACRO - news items on benefits for offenders and families.
  
  
• NASMA (National Association of Student Money Advisers) - mainly for HE, site includes events, links and members' area.
  
  
• Neligan's Digest - a summary of important reported decisions of the Social Security Commissioners.
  
  
• RightsNet - useful information and news on welfare rights and benefits issues, FAQs (frequently asked questions), policies and proposals, including information for asylum seekers, Jobseeker's Allowance, site also includes a discussion forum and useful reviews and consultation papers.
  
  
• Scottish Executive Student Support - for Further and Higher Education students (Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department).
  
  
• Social Security Advisory Committee - includes details of new changes to regulations, ongoing consultations and news.
  
  
• Social Security and Child Support Commissioners - includes recent Commissioners' decisions, also information about appeals, practice and procedure (new site).
  
  
• Weasel Words - " obscure material about the British Health and Social Security systems" from Martin Rathfelder.