Moray Launches Welfare Advice Campaign

A Welfare MAP online guide <a class="article-body-link" href="http://welfaremap.moray.gov.uk "Welfare Map"">welfaremap.moray.gov.uk has been launched by Moray Council as part of a campaign to help people cope with the biggest changes to welfare benefits since the 40s, including universal credit.

Benefits changes will increase the need for assistance with finding work and online skills as well as advice on benefits, money, budgeting and housing, and Moray Council has created the ‘Welfare MAP’ to help people across Moray find advice and assistance with all these issues.

Leaflets promoting the address are being circulated to more than 200 places across Moray from doctors’ surgeries to community centres, as well as to some of the organisations offering help including Keith Cancer Care, Step by Step in Elgin, FACT in Forres, Reach Out in Buckie, Action for children and CLAN cancer. An advertising campaign will also run in March.

Local groups in Moray that are able to support people with the changes online have also been given equipment such as laptops or tablets to help people access the internet and to improve their online skills.

The information drive is backed by the Scottish Government and the Department of Work and Pensions.

The changes will affect many people in Moray. As the changes are implemented they will, over time, affect those claiming housing benefit, jobseekers’ allowance, working and child tax credits, employment support allowance, Income Support and Disability Living Allowance. Universal Credit is being rolled out in Moray later this year.