Help Is At Hand From Health And Well-Being Team At DDC

'Brilliant', 'life changing' and 'excellent service' are just some of the comments made about the innovative new Health and Well-being Team at Dover District Council. The team was set up in February this year and has already helped hundreds of local people access around £400,000 in additional benefits.

The new Health and Well-being Team was set up at Dover District Council as part of their work to provide help and support in the current economic climate. The team works closely with a wide range of partner agencies to provide practical help and advice direct to communities. From April to September this year, 366 referrals were made to the team, which led to 461 issues being resolved. The increase in benefits claimed through work carried out by the team comes to more than £398,000.

The team at Dover District Council was brought together from within current resources and includes officers from a range of departments who have the specialist skills and knowledge to offer help, advice and support to make a real difference to people's lives.

The team and its partners focus on a range of areas including Welfare Benefits, Housing and Council Tax Benefits, Jobseekers Allowance and Disability Benefits; a new redundancy advice service for both employers and employees facing these challenging times; working with the Pension Services to provide a dedicated help and advice service for everyone aged 60 or over; financial help and guidance, including specialist debt advice; advice about getting involved with your community and volunteering; advice and support for local businesses.

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader of Dover District Council, said: "We are working hard to provide direct help to individuals and businesses across the district in these difficult times, and we continue to work with our partners to support our communities. We are very pleased to see this excellent feedback, and are delighted that the Health and Well-being Team is playing such a key role in delivering real support to local people."