‘Make the Call’ helps more than 9,000 people claim £43.2million in additional benefits and supports

The ‘Make the Call’ wraparound service has helped 9,340 people claim additional benefits and other support.

The Department for Communities ‘Make the Call’ service supports vulnerable people to access benefits and other supports and services which they are entitled to but had not been claiming. 

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Glynis Jones, Head of the Department’s ‘Make the Call’ team, explained, “The aim of Make the Call is to support vulnerable people when they need it most because of their age, disability, illness or in adverse circumstances.

“We carry out a needs assessment to make sure the individual is receiving all the benefits, supports and services that they may be entitled to. 

“We work in partnership with other departments and organisations to offer a wider range of services for example free school meals or a home safety check, or assistance with reducing energy costs or getting a blue badge for car-parking.

“Our intervention has helped people who ‘Made the Call’ become on average £88 better off per week.

“In a recent survey, 87% of those people who took part in the survey said the service had a positive impact on them.

“The welfare system was set up to help people in need and often people don’t realise that there is support out there to assist with those uncertain and difficult times,” she added.

One person in her 80s ‘Made the Call’. After being assessed by an Outreach Officer, she discovered that she was entitled to Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit. 

She said, “I cannot thank ‘Make the Call’ enough for getting me extra help which enabled me to stay in my own home.

She added, “This just changed everything and takes a weight off my mind as I get older.”

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Posted by NewryTimes News on Nov 21 2019. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry