SERVICE OFFER:
Information and Advice – 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,

Digital Inclusion – Our ‘Let’s Get Digital’ project is a service for anyone over 50 who would like to learn how to use their device and get better connected. We also offer a tablet loan service.

Telephone Befriending – Our befriending service offers people aged 65 and over companionship by phone with a friendly, chatty call from a dedicated befriender.

General Advocacy – Our Advocacy service supports and enables people over 50 to have their voice heard; we can help with making phone calls and writing letters to help ensure no one experiences any inequality or discrimination.

Bereavement Advocacy – Our bereavement advocacy service provides support to people over 50 who are recently bereaved. Our specially trained advisors can help guide through a difficult time by offering practical help with completing paperwork and notifying companies.

Money Matters – Our Money Matters service offers one to one support from a dedicated volunteer to assist and empower over 65s to remain independent when handling the day-to-day management of household finances and paperwork.

Travelling Companionship  – Through FREE sessions delivered safely from home and beyond, we can help with increasing confidence when  making trips around the local area. Journeys can be by foot, public transport, taxi, or even bike – we will help build the confidence needed to travel independently.

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).

SERVICE OFFER:
We offer specialist housing advice including evictions and homelessness. We also offer accredited debt advice. 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:
Legal Aid cases: Shelter’s legal team can do Legal Aid work for eligible clients, but this is subject to capacity and the nature of the issue. Please refer in cases related to homelessness applications and Homelessness Decision, also court rent possession/evictions cases, but be aware we may need to signpost elsewhere if not in scope or due to capacity.
–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 are currently CLOSED For Housing Advice cases for written Housing Allocation Banding or Qualification Decisions, and complex Housing or Homelessness cases