Welfare Rights

Hillhead Housing Association 2000 continues to work 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 Heather 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.  Have you been told to claim Universal Credit and are struggling with making an online claim?

If this is the case, our Welfare Rights Officer, Morag Bisset, is here to help.

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

Since the service began increasing numbers of tenants and local residents have used the service with many of these returning again and again for help as their circumstances change. In the last year alone they have helped over 300 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.

During this time, we have continued to offer a service to Caledonia Housing Association tenants in Kirkintilloch.  Between 2019 and 2020 we also offered support to tenants of Arklet Housing Association in Glasgow.  At a time of significant changes to the benefits system, the Association is very fortunate to be able to support and assist its tenants through this period of unprecedented change which continues to this day.

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

We also have a Welfare Rights Tenants Group which works with Heather and Morag to develop the service further and to oversee the service’s future direction and development.  If you are interested in joining this, please contact the office or Heather/ Morag directly.

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

Morag Bisset 0141 776 8631 or morag@hillheadhousing.org

Or the Income Maximisation Assistant, Heather Montgomery 0141 776 8630 or heatherm@hillheadhousing.org