Category

• Fully Validated Effective Local Practice

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Poverty impact

• Mitigation
• Awareness

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Poverty driver

• Increase income from benefits

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Keywords

• Childcare.
• Financial.
• Service Delivery.
• Social Security / Local Welfare (Income Maximisation).

Aim

• To improve access to tailored advice and support for families who have a child with a disability.
• To increase families’ awareness and uptake of financial advice, helping to maximise household income.
• To support families to navigate health and social care services more confidently.
• To strengthen partnership working between CARF and health and social care services.
• To improve staff understanding of the support available for families, enabling more effective signposting and referrals.

Summary

The Income Boost Project is a service delivered by Citizens Advice and Rights Fife designed to support families with children who live with a diagnosed or undiagnosed disability. The service is aimed at families who are already engaged with NHS Fife or partner social care services.
Advisors provide one-to-one support to help families with their financial wellbeing by carrying out benefit checks, ensuring that families are claiming the benefits they are entitled to. The service also helps families to explore ways in which they can increase household income and reduce living expenses.

What difference does it make?

• The project has helped families to maximise their income and supported them through the process.
• More families are now reaching the right support sooner, helping to reduce financial stress and improve household income.
• The system is moving from reactive support to an earlier preventative intervention approach.
• Staff are better equipped to recognise and respond to poverty related need as part of routine care.
• income maximisation is increasingly seen as part of holistic, person-centred care, not a separate service.
• Financial wellbeing is becoming “everybody’s business” across services.

Organisations

Citizens Advice and Right Fife. NHS Fife.

Location

Fife (throughout).

Contact