Social Policy
Warwickshire Welfare Rights Advice Service has a social policy function, using its experience of the impact of national policies on local users to comment on areas of concern, or proposed changes in legislation or practiice.
Thus, we contribute to Government consultation requests across a range of social security-related topics.
Tackling policy issues
As well as supporting many local groups we have regular liaison arrangements with other organisations to ensure that we achieve our overall aim of promoting awareness and take-up of benefits as widely as possible across Warwickshire. We work particularly closely with the following:
- The statutory agencies responsible for benefits administration and appeals. This means we are regularly in contact with:
- The Tribunals Service;
- The Pension Service;
- Jobcentre Plus;
- The Disability and Carers Service;
- Her Majestys Revenue and Customs (re: Tax Credits);
- The 5 District/Borough Council Housing and Council Tax Benefit Services (Rugby, Warwick District, Stratford, Nuneaton and Bedworth and North Warwickshire).
- The Tribunals Service;
- MPs across the county who often refer cases to us and in return take up policy issues on behalf of our clients.
In addition we have been active in addressing welfare right needs through:
- Supporting the development of a specialist local welfare rights service in Warwick District;
- Convening local welfare rights forums;
- We are fully signed up members of the Warwickshire Compact and use this to raise Voluntary and Community Sector issues and concerns. For example we recently participated in a meeting about the Warwickshire County Council tendering process and how it affects the sector based on both our own experiences and those of other agencies with whom we work;
- We contribute to the Warwickshire Local Area Agreement by:
- Convening and chairing the Voluntary and Community Sector older peoples services network and representing the voluntary sector on the Warwickshire County Council Older Peoples Partnership Board and the Healthier Communities and Older Peoples Board. We are pulling together information about the Voluntary and Community Sector contribution to service provision and intend to convey this so that it can be reflected in the Local Area Agreement targets and outcomes. This is no mean feat given the diversity of the sector and the number of organisations it includes both large and small!
NB: If you were not aware of our role in this or would like further information please email Lynn Webster at lynn.webster@wwras.org.uk. Please get involved so that it is truly a sector-wide contribution - Participating in the Voluntary and Community Sector Forum for Children, Families and Young Peoples services and representing the sector in the Warwickshire County Council Child Poverty Strategy Development Group. This is looking at ways of reducing child poverty in line with the Governments ambition to abolish child poverty by 2020 and WWRAS clearly has a role to play alongside other Voluntary and Community Sector and statutory agencies in maximising income through its take-up work