In this issue, you will find a reminder about who we work with and the services we provide, availability of our benefits advice service, the latest news and information which may help improve your finances, upcoming events and more. |
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A Message from our CEO Happy New Year to all of our subscribers! We hope your year has started well. The new year brings with it hopes for change and improvement, but we also know that there may be challenges along the way. Disability Assist will be continuing to make sure that you have access to the support you need so please get in touch with us if there is anything we can help with. We wish you a happy and healthy 2023! |
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How We Can Help You This Year |
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The New Year is a great opportunity to make changes to improve your life and, if you have something that you would like support with, Disability Assist is here to help. We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of who we work with and some of the things we can assist with. Disability Assist supports adults with disabilities and disabling long-term health conditions across Kent. We are currently funded by Kent County Council to provide wellbeing services to people with a physical disability. Regrettably, we are unable to support those who do not have a physical disability at this time so if you or someone you are working with has a mental health issue, please contact Live Well Kent instead. Please read our latest blog post by clicking the link below and hear more about our charity and the services we offer. |
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Benefits Advice Please note that our benefits advice service is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY and, unfortunately, we cannot take walk-in clients. This service is also currently overwhelmed by requests so if you work for a referring organisation such as CAB, DWP, Live Well Kent or any other wellbeing provider, then please get in touch with us directly before referring any further clients to talk about how we can discuss providing support going forward. Please also note that we are only able to assist clients with a physical disability. Clients with mental health issues should be referred to Live Well Kent. |
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Our available slots for January are now listed on our website. Please click on the link below to see the appointments we have available this month and contact us to book an appointment if you would like advice. |
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We have heard some reports that the DWP are not backdating benefit payments to the date of the application and are paying it from the date of the award instead. Please be aware that this decision can be challenged. If you need support with doing this, please contact us and we can advise you. |
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Have you signed up to the Priority Services Register? You are eligible if you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, and signing up can help you to access to priority support from your energy supplier in case of an emergency. More information is available on the Ofgem website, but you will also need to contact your energy supplier or network operator to make sure you are registered. |
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If you are looking for warm spaces near you, here are two resources which may be useful: one from West Kent and another compiled by Kent Live. If you want to find a warm space near you, you can search by postcode and filter by places which have accessible toilets using the Warm Welcome website. It might also be worth contacting spaces to check the accessibility before visiting. |
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If you are struggling financially and find yourself in need of help, your local council may be able to assist. Local councils will have limited financial aid available but this varies so you will need to look into what is available within your specific borough, for example exceptional hardship funds. Kent County Council also has a Kent Together page which has links to a number of useful resources as well as tips and advice on managing money. There is also a link which advises you on how to apply for urgent financial support from either the Household Support Fund or Kent Support and Assistance Service, as well as a helpful page which outlines KCC's services to help you with the cost of living crisis. |
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The DWP has now announced details of the cost of living payments which will be issued from Spring 2023. The new £900 cash boost for eligible means-tested benefits claimants, including those on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and tax credits, starts in Spring and will go direct to bank accounts in three payments over the course of the financial year. There will also be a separate £150 for disabled people and £300 for pensioners on top of their Winter Fuel Payments. Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the time, but are spread across a longer period to ensure a consistent support offering throughout the year. |
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Are you looking for more general ways to cut costs? MoneySavingExpert has compiled a useful list of tips and discounts that apply specifically for people with disabilities to help you save money in several different areas of life. You can read through their suggestions here. Don't forget that you can contact us for any further help and advice you may need. |
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Following on from our article in last month's e-newsletter on Kent County Council’s Direct Payments Involvement Group, the next group meeting is on Monday 9th January at 11am and will be held on Zoom. Our CEO, Sophie, will be chairing the meeting once again. If you’d like to participate in this group discussion, please contact makingadifference@kent.gov.uk. |
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A Community Information day is being held at the The Riverside Centre, Dover, on Wednesday 11th January 10am - 1pm. The focus will be to help provide information, advice and support and there will advisors available to help you deal with issues such as money management, debt, bills, getting back to work, and housing. |
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Get to know Disability Assist! Each month, we're introducing you to a different member of our team so that you know who you are speaking with when you contact us. And to kick off 2023, we have the double introduction of Sarah Heneghan and Donna Stockton. Sarah and Donna both work for KASBAH, our partner organisation which delivers the Disability Assist benefits advice service in North West Kent. So if you are in the Dartford, Gravesend or Swanley area, you are likely to meet one of them. |
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Sarah has worked for KASBAH for over four years, although this is not her first time with the charity. She first started around 14 years ago, when she helped set up their outreach project to assist service users in the community. At the time she was interested in learning British Sign language and left KASBAH to pursue a career with the deaf, returning 10 years later. Sarah loves her job because of the variety it brings and she really enjoys helping people. Outside of work, you will normally find her working the farm or at the stables as she loves being outdoors. |
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Donna is newer to KASBAH, having worked there for four months. She works alongside Sarah and a small team of volunteers to support with delivering the Disability Assist service. This role is a change of scene for Donna, who has worked in retail for the last 30 years. However her knowledge is growing quickly and she has enjoyed meeting lots of new people and offering them support with a wide range of queries. Outside of work Donna loves spending time with her family and friends. |
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If you would like to find out how we could help you or someone you know, please get in touch with us using the following link or via the contact details below. | | |
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