Please check the site & our links first before contacting. We also use our Facebook page to pass on day-to-day information. If you’d like to get involved in ECAP or a similar group elsewhere we actively encourage you to contact us!
| Benefit Guides Working / Child Tax Credits Bedroom Tax ESA & the WCA Sanctions Appeals Universal Credit | Personal Independence Payment Workfare / Employability Find a Job Debt Legal Advice Fraud Housing / Benefit / Landlords | Migrants / Refugees Disability Fuel Poverty Miscellaneous Activism International |
Benefit Guides
The Advice Shop Service provided by the City of Edinburgh Council
Gov.uk UK Government website
Jobseeker’s Allowance Guide 2010
Working Tax Credits & Child Tax Credits
HM Revenues & Customs Information on income tax, tax credits and child benefit
ESA & the WCA
Disability Rights UK ESA overview
Descriptors for ESA Support Group
Test to See if Qualify for ESA
A Claimants’ Guide to ESA & Atos
DWP Guidance on Work Capability Assessments For Healthcare Professionals (i.e. ATOS/IAS)
Advice for Service Veterans Facing Atos
Info & Template Letter on Appealing ATOS Decisions But see the guide to the new procedure below
CAB Guide to Making a Complaint About Atos
Useful Guide to Filling in ESA50 Forms
Benefit Exam Exemptions This link is also on our page ‘Benefit Medical Exams’
Sanctions
TURN2US Guide to Jobseeker’s Allowance Sanctions
JSA Hardship Payment guidelines
Appeals
Citzens Advice Guidance on ESA Appeals
Backdated ESA After Mandatory Reconsideration (if you appeal)
Disability Rights Guide to ‘Reconsideration & Appeals’
CPAG Guide to the New Rules & Procedures for Appealing Decisions
Advice Now Advice and free letter templates
Universal Credit
SUCA Alliance committed to scrapping Universal Credit
Work Related Requirements for the Employed
CPAG Resources on Universal Credit
Personal Independence Payment
CAB Help filling in your PIP form Goes through questions one by one
Government Site to Check How PIP Affects You
PIP Information An adviser guide to Personal Independence Payment regulations and case law
Updated Guidance on PIP Safety Points awarded by decision-makers revised [2018]
Benefit Exam Exemptions This link is also on our page ‘Benefit Medical Exams’
Workfare / Employability
DWP Guide on Back to Work Schemes
Securing Your Rights on Workfare
Work Programme Provider Mandation Guidance 2012
Know Your Rights on Workfare Schemes
Work Programme Survival Guide from SUWN
Find A Job
Debt
Consumer Action Group Debt Section
CAP Debt Help Free debt help & support, Edinburgh area
Advice Scotland This Glasgow blog has useful info on debt
National Debtline Guide to Bankruptcy & Sequestration in Scotland
Enforcing a Debt The law on enforcing a debt against you
Debt Advice UK Free & paid advice
Accountant in Bankruptcy Scotland only. Can be useful but watch what you say as they are a government organisation.
StepChange Debt advice charity
Legal Advice
Birmingham Peoples Centre Free employment rights advice in Birmingham
Edinburgh University School of Law Free legal advice (closed during summer months)
Scottish Legal Aid Board Find a legal aid solicitor in Scotland
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Public sector complaints
Details of the 2012 Welfare Act
CAB Guide to Police Powers in Scotland
Sandy Adirondack Employment law including volunteering
Fraud
How to Deal with a Benefit Fraud Interview England and Wales ONLY
AdviceNow’s Guide to Being Interviewed Under Caution by DWP
Housing & Landlords
Living Rent Scotland’s Tenants’ Union
Discretionary Housing Payment What is DHP?
Housing Benefit 2 Home Payment
Focus E15 Mothers Newham Mothers fight for housing in London
Radical Housing Network London based
Housing Action Southwark & Lambeth
Migrants / Refugees
Scottish Refugee Council Help and advice for refugees and asylum seekers
NELMA London based campaign organisation
The AIRE Centre Source of information relating to migrant worker, benefits & welfare rights
Positive Action in Housing Homelessness & human rights charity for migrants
Ubuntu Women Shelter For those in Glasgow with ‘no recourse to public funds’
EU Settlement Scheme official government site
Work Exploitation and Migrant Workers’ Rights
Disability
Inclusion Scotland Relevant info for disabled claimants & generally
Family Fund Grants for those raising a disabled or seriously ill child/young person
CPAG Guide to benefits for disabled children and their carers
Disability Rights Benefit fact sheets
Disability Information Scotland Advice on general disability issues + can refer you to specialist organisation
Universal Credit and Disability
Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (LCiL) Edinburgh
Grapevine Disability Information Services Based at LCiL
National Entitlement Card Free bus travel throughout Scotland
Miscellaneous
Gingerbread advice and support for single parents
DWP Service Standards Includes how to complain
Turn2us Benefits Calculator Check what you should be getting
Equality & Human Rights Commission
Financial Ombudsman Service Advice with your financial dispute
Independent Case Examiner Jobcentre and Child Support Agency complaints
DWP Policy on Financial Redress for Injustice Resulting from Maladministration
Civil Service Staff Code of Conduct may be useful at DWP!
Fuel Poverty
Fuel Poverty Action Group taking action against rip-off energy bills with useful help & advice
Activism
Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh (ACE) home to ECAP & many other groups
Salford Unemployed & Community Resource Centre
Participation & the Practice of Rights PPR Project Belfast
Glasgow Solidarity Network social justice centre [OUT OF DATE]
Glasgow Autonomous Space (GAS)
Dundee Against Austerity Campaign to unite low paid workers and claimants
Hastings Solidarity Local solidarity in Hastings, England
Ipswitch Unemployed Action Fighting for the rights of the Unemployed
Leeds Welfare Fightback Against benefit sanctions, benefit cuts and misery of work
Leicestershire Solidarity Group
London Coalition Against Poverty
Scottish Unemployed Workers Network Advice and information
Solidarity Federation UK section of the International Workers Association (IWA)
The Poor Side of Life Charlotte Hughes – regular jobcentre demo, helping claimants
Stockport United Against Austerity Helping claimants & fighting cuts
Welsh Claimants Union Advice and support for benefit claimants
Brighton Solidarity Federation Solidarity with public, collective struggles in housing, workers, migrants etc.
CASE Central Brighton based welfare rights & community centre
Haringey Solidarity Group Activists fighting housing issues & much else
International
Auckland Action Against Poverty Against neoliberal agenda on jobs, welfare and poverty
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty Campaigning for the poor and working people
Australian Unemployed Workers’ Union Campaigning for the unemployed & the welfare state
Seattle Solidarity Network First hand account of fighting poverty in Seattle
Netherlands Doorbraak Dutch, anti-workfare group (similar work to boycott workfare)
Aktive Arbeitslose Austrian anti-workfare campaign
Skya Greece Greek activists fighting in Greece
LabourNet TV Films on labour movement struggles worldwide
German Unemployed Fight Back Short films in German
Dole Action Group Melbourne, Australia
[Last Updated: January 2021]
