Welfare Rights

Hillhead Housing Association 2000 is working in partnership with Caledonia Housing Association (formerly Antonine HA) to provide a welfare rights service to our tenants and other residents.

This is a free and confidential service which can help with a variety of benefit matters.

As well as assisting clients in making benefit claims Moira and Morag also represent clients at appeals and have assisted many clients in successfully negotiating the maze of benefits bureaucracy.

It is possible that there may be benefits that you could be entitled to and are not aware of, or you may feel that the rate of benefits which you are in receipt of is not correct. Or perhaps you are working, but on a low income, and are finding it difficult to manage your finances. You may be on benefits, but are having trouble with the DWP, struggling with sanctions, or would just like help to complete a form.

Our Welfare Rights Officers are trained to give advice on benefit entitlement and to assist in the claims process; whether it is making a claim over the phone, helping you to fill in a form, assisting you to appeal a decision you disagree with, or representing you at a benefit appeal.

If this is the case, our team of Welfare Rights Officers, Moira Escreet and Morag Bisset, are here to help.

Since the service began it has supported a great many tenants and residents in the area, with more than 2,400 clients using the service over the years, many of whom have returned again and again for help. In the last year alone they have dealt with 370 new clients.

In September 2014, Hillhead Housing Association was awarded grant funding from the Big Lottery Fund which allowed them to extend the Welfare Rights Service, and Morag came onboard. The additional role will allow the service to reach even more people who are facing financial hardship caused by the welfare reforms.

During this time, Hillhead has been able to expand the service to meet the needs of Caledonia Housing Association tenants in Kirkintilloch as well as offer support to tenants of Arklet Housing Association. At a time of significant changes to the benefits system, the Association said it is very fortunate to be able to support and assist its tenants through this period of unprecedented change which continues to this day.

Moira and Morag can help with any benefit query, including pensions, housing and council tax benefits, jobseeker’s allowance and the various disability benefits, and tax credits. 

If you would like help with your benefits, or are unsure as to whether or not you could qualify, please contact our welfare rights officers:

Moira Escreet 0141 776 8630 or moira@hillheadhousing.org

Morag Bisset 0141 776 8631 or morag@hillheadhousing.org

Welfare Rights Tenants Group which works with Moira and Morag to develop the service further and to oversee the service’s future direction and development.