Advice Team
The Diverse Abilities Advice Team offers help and support to people that are struggling with claiming disability benefits or with challenging a DWP decision. The team can help with completion of forms, sourcing of evidence, drafting and submission of appeals and representation at tribunals. We help with Carers Allowance (CA), Child Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Limited Capability for Work under Universal Credit or New Style ESA, Blue Badge and Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
The Advice Team supports people with all types of disabilities and health conditions of all ages, including children, their families and carers. As well as benefit advice, the Advice Team provides a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) service to help families and individuals to decide whether an LPA is right for them. We are also able to arrange a translator for most languages if required.
How we’ll help
The aim of the service is to ensure a person has the assistance they need to secure the benefits to which they are entitled or the Lasting Power of Attorney document they require.
The team will make your life a little easier by helping you to understand what is needed in order to complete benefit applications and submit appeals. They will guide and support you through the Lasting Power of Attorney process to ensure that your LPA documents are suited to your needs.
The team is not-for-profit and does need to charge a small fee for the benefit services it provides as it has no government or council funding. However, you will find the team’s services for LPAs considerable cheaper than other professionals in the area. Click on each of the below topics to find out more or visit our Useful Resources.
The team has been successful in providing advice and representation for 15 years and can help you too. We also work with Rutters Solicitors, Blandford, to provide help and advice on Deputyships and Wills with Trusts for vulnerable persons.
Click here to download our Advice Team brochure, or click play below to listen to an audio version.
If you use Facebook, why not take a look at our Diverse Abilities Advice Team Group, where we can members can post DWP updates, ask questions, and keep in touch.
For further information please call 0300 330 5514 on weekdays between 9am and 5.30pm. If we are unable to answer your call, please bear with us, leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Telephone appointments
The Advice Team provides a telephone form filling service for PIP, ESA50, UC50, AA, CA, and Child DLA.
We have electronic versions of application and review forms which we will complete with you over the phone.
We complete the form by typing your answers as we work through the form together. Telephone appointments allow you to complete your form in the comfort of your own home with the option of having someone else with you for support.
At the end of the appointment, we will post or email you the completed form. All completed forms are posted within 24 hours of the appointment.
Mandatory reconsiderations and appeals
The team can draft and submit mandatory reconsiderations and appeals on your behalf, just give us a call and we will go through the process with you. We will need you to post the relevant paperwork to us, which we will scan and return to you. Once we have looked over your paperwork, we will draft your submission or reconsideration and send this to you for reference before submitting it. We will not lodge a submission or send a reconsideration without you having read it first.
We will remain in contact throughout this process and help you to collate further evidence if required.
To book an appointment or for further information, email advice@diverseabilities.org.uk or call 0300 330 5514.
We’re very proud to announced that advice appointments are now available for the deaf community.
The cost of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters attending appointments can now be paid by the Advice Team on behalf of the person seeking advice, as well as covering the cost of the appointment itself. These appointments cover benefit applications, appeals, and Lasting Power of Attorney applications, all important to helping those with disabilities secure the support they need to live their day to day lives. Click here to find out more.
Contact us.
To book an appointment or for further information, email advice@diverseabilities.org.uk or call 0300 330 5514.
We are available on weekdays between 9am-5pm.
If we are unable to answer your call, please bear with us, leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Important Info: It has come to our attention that a person claiming to work for Diverse Abilities is approaching people and offering to help them with their PIP and council tax rebate applications. Please note that we always contact you via phone to arrange any appointments and do not outsource our service to any third parties. We will not contact you if you have not already put in a request to us. If you are concerned you have been approached by someone claiming to work for Diverse Abilities, you can call us on 01202 718266 or 0300 330 5514 and let us know your concerns.