Benefits Maximisation for low-income families

Description

Dumfries and Galloway Council intend to commission an organisation to provide a benefits maximisation to complement the work we are carrying out through our Fairer Futures Partnership (FFP). This service would be via referral from our Fairer Futures Child Poverty key worker service, for families they are engaging with or families who they come in contact with through engagement events. Lot 1: The organisation should; Provide benefits maximisation calculations to 30 parents referred into them by FFP keyworkers Carry-out the calculation with parents in their preferred method (phone call or email) and understanding that our parents might not always respond immediately Understand and be sensitive to the needs of families living in poverty Provide practical support when possible or practicable Provide the parents and key workers the outputs and finding of their benefits maximisation calculation with clear steps on what to do next Record engagement, outcomes and any increase in income they are aware of, and to share this with the FFP team To provide a quantitative and qualitative report at the end which looks at key themes which have arisen through the commission. Benefit maximisation is a vital strategy to reduce child poverty. It ensures low-income households secure the full welfare support and financial assistance they are legally entitled to, lifting families out of poverty. This commission allows us to extend our reach through our FFP in Dumfries and Galloway and to provide this intervention to more families.