SERVICE OFFER:
We offer advice and support around Benefits including support applying for Benefits and Benefit Checks. Advice on all areas of home or residential care including assessment and paying for. Support in the home, aids and adaptions and self-funders. Guidance and support setting up Lasting Power of Attorney. Guidance on applying for BB or Appealing a BB decision, we are unable to support directly with applying. Information and Signposting on any other topic.

Office appointments: limited appointments available at our head office with an adviser. Prebooked only.
Home visiting: Lasting Power of attorney form completion and benefit form/ benefit check completion where required
Phone: Advice, benefit checks, benefit form completion.

We are supporting older people experiencing financial hardship by giving them access to vital food vouchers. This remit can include those in receipt or likely to be eligible for means tested benefits, those in crisis, or minimal savings over the aged of 60 at various locations across the county
We are also currently issuing household support fund payments to households up to the value of £50 for those over 50. These can be for food, energy, or water costs for wider essentials such as warm clothing etc. We are not able to contribute towards boiler repairs or replacements
In addition, you can refer clients directly to our Advocacy, Digital Inclusion or Telephone Befriending teams (a referral from will need to be uploaded and can be found on our website under the service details Age UK Norfolk | Our Services) as well as to our main Advice team for all other enquiries.

CRITERIA:
We support people aged 50 and over, including carers and families (excludes Norwich city council area for Advice service). Users of Telephone Befriending and Money Matters must be 65 or over

SERVICE OFFER: We offer help and advice about benefits, housing, debt, money, lasting power of attorney, social care and support, telephone befriending and activities. We also offer Health Coaching (during periods of illness or injury, or to adjust to long-term conditions), Complex Community Care Support (helping people living with complex health and/or social conditions who need regular practical and emotional support to live as independently as possible), Social activities and events and Telephone Befriending and Active Befriending services. In addition, Vera, our virtual assistant, is available to give information via our website.

CRITERIA: Our services are for people aged 50 and over, including carers and families, in the Norwich and Greater Norwich area.

SERVICE OFFER: We offer a broad range of advice including debt, welfare benefits, housing, employment, immigration, health, consumer and family.

CRITERIA: This service is for the Diss and Thetford area only.

SERVICE OFFER:
We offer advice in the following areas: housing; money and benefits; employment, education and training; being a young parent; relationships, sex and sexual health; gender identity; mental health; drugs and alcohol.

CRITERIA:
We offer this service to 11–25-year-olds.

SERVICE OFFER:
We offer a broad range of advice including debt, welfare benefits, housing, employment, immigration, health, family and consumer.

CRITERIA:
Our service excludes Diss and Thetford areas.

SERVICE OFFER:
We offer free, confidential, and independent legal advice in the following areas: employment law, family law, general law, discrimination, domestic abuse, debt, immigration and welfare benefits (appeals and tribunals only).

CRITERIA:
Our services are open to anyone who lives in Norfolk, in particular to those who may not otherwise be able to access legal assistance or debt advice. We do not advise on criminal law (unless relating to Domestic Abuse).

PLEASE NOTE: Shelter are closed for Housing Advice cases until at least 04/12/23

SERVICE OFFER:
We offer specialist housing advice including evictions, and homelessness. We also offer accredited debt advice. Advocacy and representation are available at court. Advocacy and representation are available at court.

PLEASE READ OUR CRITERIA BELOW BEFORE REFERRING—
Many general housing issues are addressed by self-help guides on our website shelter.org.uk which is full of detailed template letters and advice e.g., about how to get a deposit back. (We would not accept cases about how to initially join housing lists, and questions around deposit protection and low-level disrepair issues – please refer to our Website/Webchat/Helpline instead)

CURRENT CRITERIA:
Norfolk only:
– Legal Aid cases for Possession and Eviction, and Homelessness decision reviews, and serious disrepair where there is a risk of harm to health, and the person wants to stay and have it fixed, or illegal eviction. (Except defending possession proceedings where there are allegations of Anti-Social Behaviour).
– Housing Advice cases for written Housing Allocation Banding or Qualification Decisions, and complex Housing or Homelessness cases
– Debt Advice for Clients with Housing related Debt, Rent arrears, Council Tax arrears, Utility Bills.
– We cannot accept Social Prescribing cases directly (these are referred to the Living Well teams via the client’s GP and ICC’s only)

We can also offer free local community rights sessions for professionals and services users- i.e., our team will come in person and do a tailored presentation to your team or your service users on housing/ homelessness/housing register. Enquiries welcome via norfolk@shelter.org.uk

We are particularly interested in any cases where a client with multiple and complex needs is struggling with homelessness or inadequate housing, or cases where the private rented sector is totally failing a tenant (e.g. unaffordable, or awful conditions) or where someone is being excluded from the housing register, but still has a housing need.