We can help with questions and problems on a wide range of social security benefit and tax credit issues. We offer services to the public, and to advisers and other organisations.

Need help or advice about your rights? Contact us Monday to Friday, from 9.00am - 12 noon. All services are confidential and free of charge if you live in County Durham.

How can we help?

If you need advice on a benefit issue, we can:

• Give you information on what benefits you might be entitled to and how to claim them.
• Check that you are getting the right amount of benefit.
• Advise you on what will happen if your circumstances change.
• Give advice on how to ask for a reconsideration of a decision, or appeal against it.

Acting on your behalf

If you've recently had a benefit claim turned down and are appealing against this, we can act on your behalf if any of the following apply to you:

• You or a member of your household (including non-dependants) lives in County Durham and receives Housing Benefit or an award under the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
• You, a member of your family, or the person you care for, lives in County Durham and has a cancer diagnosis.
• You are terminally ill.
• You are a member of the armed forces community, including dependent families (regular personnel, reservists, veterans, bereaved).
• You are judged at risk of suicide, for example if you are a member of a CREE project.
• You have been referred from Citizen's Advice County Durham / Carers Centre / AgeUK County Durham.
• You have been referred from Hotspots.
• You have been referred from our Housing Solutions, The Adult Sensory Support Team or Durham Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information Advice and Support Service.