A&BLC covers Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.  Their Community Legal Service is contracted to provide specialist help in welfare benefits as well as social security law and offers representation at appeal hearings. Advice line number, 0117 916 7722 on Monday afternoons between 2pm and 4pm.

Advice on benefits including:

• Disability Living Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Job Seeker's Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Carer's Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Tax Credits

You can contact A&BLC directly or be referred by advice agencies and other organisations, monday afternoons between 2pm and 4pm.  If you ring at this time and you get the answering machine, do leave a message and an adviser will phone back usually the same day or as soon as possible afterwards.

Other useful websites

Please note: the rules relating to benefits change continually and as a result there is a great deal of out-of-date benefits information on the Internet, even on the sites of major national charities. Please treat all benefits information you encounter on the web with great caution, particularly if it hasn't been updated for months.

East Bristol Advice Service. Downloadable guides to incapacity for work and disability living allowance. Links to mental health resources and local carers.

CAB Advice Guide. Basic benefits information from Citizens Advice.

Tribunals Service. The home of The Tribunals Service, the body which organises benefit appeal tribunal hearings.

Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP is the new name for the DSS. There is a great deal of very useful information on this site,including downloadable booklets about most benefits and also downloadable claim forms.

Social Security Commissioners. This is the home of the Social Security Commissioners, who hear appeals against tribunal decisions.

Benefits advice in your area.

Community Legal Advice. (was Community Legal Service Direct), details of advice centres and solicitors funded under the Community Legal Services scheme. Search for legal advice agencies in your area. Check iwhether you will be charged for the advice and representation you receive when you call them.

Advice UK. for contact details of independent advice centres in your area. Search for local abenefits dvice agencies.

Law Centres Federation. find your nearest Law Centre, checke whether you can get  free advice and representation at appeals, when you contact them.

Citizens Advice Bureau local search. for contact details of your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) if you live in England and Wales. CAB can provide information about benefits and some employ specialist welfare rights staff.