GMB union working with Vauxhaul Community Centre

The Centre provides legal advice relating to all areas of social welfare law, particularly relating to welfare benefits, housing, and debt.

12 October 2020

Vauxhall Community Law & Information Centre working in partnership with GMB trade union

Since June 2019, the GMB trade union Northwest & Irish Region have developed a relationship with the Vauxhall Community Law & Information Centre. GMB union members and their families can benefit from the services that the Centre offers. The Centre has an excellent reputation in delivering high quality free legal advice in order to combat poverty, and has been doing so for nearly 45 years. The Centre is a member of the National Law Centre’s Network and provides services accredited to the Advice Quality Service Standard, a body that independently audits the quality of work that the Centre undertakes. The Centre is funded by a range of different organisations, including Liverpool City Council, the Access to Justice Foundation, and the Morgan Foundation.

What can the Centre do for you and your family?

The Centre provides legal advice relating to all areas of social welfare law, particularly relating to welfare benefits, housing, and debt. The Centre can provide welfare benefits advice and casework, particularly for those claiming income related, sickness and disability benefits. This will be done face to face, over the phone and by email. Face to face appointments will only be available in the Liverpool area, either at the GMB offices in Liverpool or at the offices of the Vauxhall Community Law & Information Centre. The service is provided by Ngaryan Li, Senior Solicitor at the Law Centre. Ngaryan can be contacted on 0151 482 2540, or at gmb@vauxhalllawcentre.org.uk. The Centre is open 9am-4pm Monday-Friday.

If necessary, the Centre can provide representation for people by preparing and presenting cases at the tribunal level. The Centre has an excellent record in this regard, as demonstrated by the Centre’s tribunal statistics. In the year ending 31.3.2018, the Centre represented 111 cases at tribunal, all of which resulted in a successful outcome for the claimant (either initially or upon appeal).

If you or your family members have any concerns relating to benefits, the Centre is well placed to provide high quality advice and to produce a desirable outcome for you and your family. Details of just a few examples of the Centre’s work are provided below to provide further insight into the Centre’s activities.

GMB North West & Irish Region

Alan Kelly & Ngaryan Li (Vauxhall Law Centre), Paul McCarthy (GMB union Regional Secretary)

Case Studies

The Centre advised a retired factory worker who lives alone and suffers from several health conditions, including emphysema. The Centre carried out a benefit check and advised that he should claim Attendance Allowance. As a result of the Centre’s work, the client was awarded a total benefit entitlement worth just under £50,000. This came in the form of an Attendance Allowance of £87.65 per week, the entitlement to Pension Credit of £55 per week, full housing benefit, and a backdate payment of benefits totalling £3155.40. This is an excellent example of the difference the Centre’s work can make to an individual’s livelihood.

In an ongoing matter, the Centre is currently advising an individual that is suffering with mental health issues on her benefit entitlement. The individual has been off work in light of her mental health issues, and is unable to return to work until they can access appropriate mental health services. The Centre helped the individual submit a Universal Credit claim form. The client has since been deemed fit for work, and so the Centre is now helping the client in appealing the decision. The client has found the process of applying for Universal Credit difficult, commenting that “I feel like the DWP (the Department for Work and Pensions) are harassing me and stalking me all the time by asking lots and lots of questions and demanding I do things. I’m scared of answering the wrong thing which would affect my benefits.” The Centre will continue to help the client in their dealings with the DWP and in launching her appeal.

These are just a few examples of the Centre’s work and represent a small proportion of the work the Centre deals with on a daily basis. If you or your family members have any queries relating to benefits, do not hesitate to contact the Centre.

Vauxhall Community Law and Information Centre provide a free advice service in respect of all Welfare Benefits, particularly those benefits for sick, disabled and older people.

They also provide advice and support such as representation at Tribunals. Also advice and support in relation to fuel, housing and debt issues, contact details for Twitter and Facebook accounts along with the centre's phone number are as follows

Facebook- Vauxhall Community Law Centre
Twitter- @VLCLiverpool
Telephone - 0151 482 2540
Email- gmb@vauxhalllawcentre.org.uk

GMB North West & Irish Region