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About

 Reservoir Welfare Rights 

 

At Reservoir Welfare Rights, we're committed to helping people with long-term health conditions or disabilities and their carers to maximise their benefit income. We aim to help you claim all the benefits you're entitled to due to:-

  • limited capability for work

  • disability

  • caring

 

If we can help you with any of these benefits, we also aim to help you obtain all the other benefits you're entitled to.

 

We're aware that free services provided by local authorities and charities are being reduced at a time when demand for such services are very high. Also, services provided by solicitors are very expensive for those on low incomes due to the removal of legal aid for most welfare rights cases.  

 

We think that people should have another option. A service that is:-

  • more accesssible than the services provided by local authorities and charities, and

  • more affordable than the services provided by solicitors.

 

We're able to be more accessible by providing services by:-

  • telephone (for benefit checks and general advice)

  • home visits (for filling in forms, preparing for reconsiderations and appeals, etc.)

  • email or letter (for anything in writing).

 

We're able to provide more affordable services as a result of the following:-

  • Freephone - calls you make to our helpline are free from landlines and mobiles

  • Freepost - letters you send to us using our freepost envelopes don't require a stamp

  • Home visits - you don't have to pay for buses, taxis, petrol or parking to come and see us

  • If you use our No Win No Fee payment option, we only charge fees based on the extra benefits we help you to get. Also, we only ask for fees to be paid when you receive backdated payments after any extra benefits are awarded. This makes our fees affordable, whatever your financial circumstances.

  • We work from home and don't have to pay for office space

  • We provide a not for profit service

 

 Ian Sidwell, Welfare Rights Adviser 

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I have over 25 years experience of providing welfare rights and general advice for various local organisations including:-

  • Birmingham CAB,

  • Warwickshire Welfare Rights Advice Service,

  • Ladywood Community Advice Service, and

  • Newman University.

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I've provided advice to a variety of client groups including:-

  • Patients at GP surgeries

  • Families at children's centres

  • Students, and

  • Cancer patients

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I have a large amount of experience of completing claim forms, requesting reconsiderations, preparing submissions for appeals and representing clients at appeal tribunals.

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