A housing association has launched a phone hotline and drop-in centre for advice on Universal Credit.
The service run by ARHAG, which helps refugees and migrants in London and will be moving to Stratford in 2019, will see a drop-in open at Praxis Community Centre in Bethnal Green, to help applicants fill in forms and navigate the transition to the new system.
Universal Credit is a collation of five benefits, including jobseeker’s allowance and housing benefit, into one, and was introduced in a bid to make claiming easier.
The phone line will be open to all women and girls from black, asian and minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME) in the UK, and will provide advice from a trained welfare benefits specialist.
The free service is being funded by the Tampon Tax Fund, which saw ARHAG and its partners receive £1 million earlier this year.
The hotline number is 0800 389 0405 and the drop-in sessions are open on a first come, first serve basis for Tower Hamlets residents on Thursdays from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
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