Child Poverty Action Group

This half-day course offers practical advice on how to check that a family is getting all they should and how you can help them make claims effectively. It aims to give you an understanding of the benefits system, help you recognise important issues, identify points when a family’s entitlement may change and know when to refer for specialist advice.

This course covers:

This basic level course focuses on the transition to adult benefits from age 16 for young people with disabilities or health problems who still live at home.

It looks at changes to disability benefits for the young person, and considers the circumstances in which a young person can claim adult benefits in their own right while still living at home.

The course covers:

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This essential two-day course is aimed at professionals who work with low-income clients. It is for those who will not be advising on benefits themselves (eg, social workers, supported housing workers, support staff) but want to support clients to maximise their income and signpost at the right time for more advice.

The course covers:

• Benefits available to different client groups
• Structure of the benefit system
• Basic benefit checks
• How to claim and who to contact
• Dealing with problems
• Signposting for more help

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This half-day course is for people working in childcare and early years, who want to know more about the support available for working families and help them to avoid common benefit problems. It concentrates on who can get help with the costs of childcare through the social security system, and how this interacts with other sources of support, including the new tax-free childcare scheme. No previous knowledge of benefits is required.

It will help you to:

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This half-day course looks at changes to benefits for people starting a family and families with young children, both in and out of work.

Maximising income in the early years is vital for children’s health, education and development. This course aims to give frontline workers a basic awareness to help you to identify problems and refer on where appropriate.

The course covers:

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Many more children in Scotland will be living in poverty by 2020. This half-day course looks at why this is and which families are likely to be most affected. Participants will be encouraged to consider the steps they can take in their own roles to prepare for the predicted increase in child poverty and make a practical difference to families.

The course covers:

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Personal independence payment (PIP) is the disability benefit for people aged 16-65. This course equips you with the knowledge and confidence to help the people you work with make effective claims.

The course covers:

• What is PIP?
• Who can claim
• Helping a client who is thinking about claiming PIP
• Tips and guidance in completing the form
• Supporting clients through the assessment
• Getting the decision – what next

The course is aimed at those with no or limited knowledge of benefits.

First available date:

This half-day course provides a basic overview of social security benefits and tax credits, and which further and higher education students might be able to claim them. The course is for student advisers and other frontline workers who are new to benefits.

The course covers: