Liverpool residents not claiming the benefits they are entitled to

LIVERPOOL Direct Limited’s Benefits Service; run on behalf of Liverpool City Council - is launching local campaigns across the city to raise awareness of the benefits they are entitled to and to ensure they are claimed.

Following the success of recent campaigns, Liverpool Direct Limited’s Benefits Service is keen to publicise the extra help available to many households such as Attendance Allowance, Free School Meals, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

The Service will be contacting households who they think are missing out on valuable extra income. Similar campaigns already carried out during 2010 have seen hundreds of successful claims made.

One Liverpool pensioner recently received a backdated payment of Attendance Allowance amounting to £16,220.00 plus an extra £125 increase in her weekly income which she hadn’t realised she was missing out on. Another household was awarded full Council Tax Benefit and received just over £3,000 in a lump sum after contacting the Benefit Maximisation Service for help.

Alongside the campaigns, Benefit Maximisation Officers will also be attending a number of community based events during the coming year to provide face-to-face advice on the wide range of benefits available.

Martin Jungnitz, Liverpool Direct Limited’s Head of Benefits, said:- “We want to raise awareness of the various benefits residents may be entitled to and make sure they claim what’s theirs.  There are many households in Liverpool who are not gaining the support they are entitled to. Our team of officers are available to help people to maximise their income and ensure they receive their full entitlement. Families not claiming their Free School Meal entitlement are missing out on around £500 per year for each child.  Our Benefit Maximisation Service is a dedicated team within the Liverpool Direct Limited’s Benefits Service. They are available to provide support to anyone who isn’t sure if they qualify for help and provides support for those seeking assistance to make a claim.”

Deputy Council Leader Paul Brant said:- “During these difficult economic times it is vital that people get all the money they are entitled to.  We know many people’s circumstances have changed as a result of short time working and it could be that they are entitled to assistance.  We have a team ready to offer help and assistance to navigate through the benefits maze and make the application process as simple as possible.”

Anyone seeking general benefit advice can call into any Liverpool Direct One Stop Shop or call the contact centre on:- 0151 223 3009. Liverpool City Council’s website also provides information on a wide range of benefits, discounts and grants which are available.

A benefit calculator is also available on the website for anyone with access to the internet who may want to test out whether they could qualify for help with rent or Council Tax in the private.

The Benefit Maximisation Team can be contacted by calling into a local One Stop Shop, ringing the helpline number:- 0151 233 3064 or by email.

GET READING TO REWARD YOUNG TALENT

PEOPLE in Liverpool are being urged to vote for their favourite short story after Arriva North West announced the finalists in its search for talented young writers.

Earlier this year, the company invited children aged 16 and under to get their thinking caps on and come up with a bus themed short story. Arriva North West was inundated with entries, and has now published 4 shortlisted stories at:- arrivabus.co.uk/short-stories so people can vote for their favourite.

Debra Mercer, marketing manager for Arriva North West, said:- “We invited children to write a short story about a memorable bus journey because we really want to encourage them to read on their journeys to school. The writer of the story which receives the most votes overall will win a laptop, while the runners up will receive free bus travel for a month.”

M R Hall’s crime novel, The Disappeared, was launched on buses in five locations across the UK as part of the reading campaign. Local people got on board to meet the author, who is the creator of TV crime dramas including Judge John Deed, Kavanagh QC and Dalziel and Pascoe.

Arriva North West’s campaign comes after the Arriva School Bus visited nine primary schools across the UK to give children a fun lesson about travelling safely and the environmental benefits of public transport. Nine buses were turned into mobile classrooms, visiting primary schools in Luton, Manchester, Leeds, Burton-on-Trent, Stockton-on-Tees, Glasgow, Sittingbourne, Wrexham and Shepshed. Year 6 pupils were given entertaining and educational sessions about using the bus.

Sexual health searches boom in January

INTERNET searches linked to sexual health rise in January because of risks taken in the festive period. Alcohol consumption
in the party season makes people less inhibited and increases the risk of unplanned, unprotected sex. Dr Mike Abbott, Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital, said:- “Alcohol makes people take more risks, especially where sex is concerned. Alcohol can also make people more vulnerable to having their drinks spiked, with serious consequences.”

You can reduce risk at Christmas, New Year and all year round and avoid the anxiety and potential harm of sexual infections
and unplanned pregnancy with:-

► Consistent condom use

► Effective contraception

► Fewer sexual partners

► STI testing (including HIV and syphilis)

Dr Abbot added:- “By taking care of yourself and seeking advice you can maintain your sexual health but if you are worried, get help.”  The GUM clinic at Southport hospital will be open as normal over the Christmas and New Year period apart from 27 December and 28 December 2010 and 3 January 2010. Put “Southport GUM” into any internet search engine for more information.