Is it right that some claimants have 1st class advice and others are left struggling to go it alone?

twonker

I recently found a website called Rightsnet  which has a restricted forum for professionals to use.

Just spending 10 mins looking at the advice given by one professional to another, it is clear that there are some very well qualified advisors out there for the public to talk to and use.

I feel that it is totally wrong that these 'experts' aren't situated in every advice centre in Britain.

How would you feel about having some of these individuals on your side?

I was just reading about how to win at a Tribunal, handle the panel etc as regards medical evidence or the lack of it. I never really thought that there was an industry out there that looks after claimants. 

Such a shame that some lose out because they can't access this level of advice. Seems to me to be a two tier system. Those that get it and those that don't. 

wilko

@twonker, there is help out there on the net at Benefits and Works, you join £20 per year and have access to all all their downloads for claiming, appeals tribunal hearings, I have been a member and downloaded lots of pdfs on different things. There is lots of information on the net just type your question and look through the finds many have downloadable pdf files which you can save and build up a library of information for future use on my subjects.

twonker

wilko said:

@twonker, there is help out there on the net at Benefits and Works, you join £20 per year and have access to all all their downloads for claiming, appeals tribunal hearings, I have been a member and downloaded lots of pdfs on different things. There is lots of information on the net just type your question and look through the finds many have downloadable pdf files which you can save and build up a library of information for future use on my subjects.

Thanks, but I was actually referring to face to face advice given by the likes of those that post on that site.
Yes you can get information off the net but that really is not advice.
Besides which I have found that there is so much contradiction from sources on the net that you end up ignoring it as you can't decide what is the truth or not.
Should not all claimants that go to a Tribunal get personal quality advice and support where the advisor with you is ensuring that the hearing progresses in the claimant's interest. It seems based on that site that some are lucky enough to get it. 

Misscleo

Your so right but what can we do to put this right so we all get GOOD ADVICE

twonker

Misscleo said:

Your so right but what can we do to put this right so we all get GOOD ADVICE

Exactly!!

The only way that I can see that would make this happen is for the government to properly fund the CAB organisation and the welfare rights departments within local councils in order that these professionals are able to work there.
To have it that some cities and town which have fantastic resources generally funded by the local authority there are many many more that get no funding from the councils. In those areas you might as well give up as top line professional advice and support is not available. 

On the other hand I wonder if this is a ploy of the government to restrict advice which means a possible reduction in welfare payments. Seems strange that those areas with this exceptional support being available has led to more money being paid out in benefits.