Welfare Rights Team - Annual Report 2023/2024

We deliver advice to members of the public, workers and support to other frontline services/agencies from Monday to Friday via:

• Telephone advice line - 01738 476900 (option 1)
• Email - welfarerights@pkc.gov.uk
• Facebook private messages
• Online referral form
• Face-to-face by prior appointment at Pullar House and at our outreach surgeries throughout the Perth & Kinross area. We are members of the Keep Safe Scheme and Pullar House can be accessed by customers with disabilities

We have over 80 comprehensive Welfare Rights web pages that we have developed and maintained since 2012 to ensure that the residents of Perth and Kinross and those whom we support on the frontline have 24/7 access to benefits information.

Welfare Rights resources

We currently have 11 Welfare Rights Officers.

Web pages and social media

The Welfare Rights Team is committed to the Council's channel shift agenda, not least because we are a small team faced with increasing demand and complexity, and so we have a range of information online that can be used by front-line workers throughout the Perth and Kinross area and our residents alike.

We also have a dedicated Facebook page where we share topical information regarding changes to benefits and more. Since April 2016 we have actively used our Facebook page to raise awareness of the service, we have almost 5,000 followers, with a sharp increase in followers during the coronavirus pandemic.

We have over 80 web pages which cover all aspects of Welfare Benefits containing  detailed information on the current benefit system which includes:

• Scottish Welfare Fund
• Universal Credit
• Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment and other Social Security Scotland benefits
• Employment & Support Allowance

We also have a range of web pages dedicated to household circumstances including:

• Benefits for families
• Benefits for carers
• Benefits for older people
• Benefits for people who are terminally ill
• Benefits for people who are unfit for work/disabled

Who is accessing our service and from which parts of the area?

*Figures are subject to rounding

57% of our referrals are from out with Perth City Centre.

Most of the referrals from these areas have remained consistent over the last few years with the exception of Perth City North, traditionally, we would receive the highest level of referrals from this ward. Referrals have dipped by 4% compared to last year..

Referrals to our service remain high and we believe that this is due to the combined effect of the following:

• The current Cost of Living Crisis and,
• A series of talks, training and presentations throughout 2022/23 and 2023/24 as we had the capacity and the ability (that we didn't during the Coronavirus Emergency due to significantly increased demands, less capacity and public health restrictions) to actively promote our service and,
• The administration of the Financial Insecurity Fund