1.3m cash boost for carers

Carers and their loved ones are £1.3m better off after receiving help to claim extra benefits.

The cash boost for residents in County Durham follows a scheme to improve advice and support services for disabled people and their carers.

Members of Durham County Council’s welfare rights service spent six weeks providing additional training for staff at carers’ centres across the county on how to help service users apply for benefits.

On-going support is also available for care workers via a telephone advice line, staffed by the welfare rights team.

Chris Graham, Durham County Council’s welfare rights team manager, said: “The extra support we are providing to staff at carers’ centres has helped them improve their knowledge and awareness of the benefits system, which has enabled them to provide better advice to claimants.

“We are extremely pleased that the overall result has been a £1.3m increase in the amount of benefits cash paid out to people between April and August this year.”

Durham County Council’s welfare rights service was recently praised by the Department of Health, which highlighted the support it provides to Macmillan Cancer Support as an example of best practice in its refresh of the national Carer’s Strategy.