Advice Service Update - March 2026

Due to capacity, our Advice Service is currently offering support for benefits‑related cases and concessionary travel cases only.

We are unable to help with Housing, Adult Social Care, or Aids and Adaptions issues. We will review if we can open to these cases in April 2026. You can find details of organisations that may be able ot help in these areas here. 

 

Please read each section below to see what we can help with and what we can’t.
If we cant help, we will try to give you the contact details of someone who can.

We believe we are held back more by society than by our impairments, so we follow the social model of disability and an independence charter. This means we may support you to do things yourself, rather than doing them for you.
 

Welfare Benefits 

We help Disabled people in Merton with benefits. This includes:
  • Filling in benefit forms.
  • Going with you to medical assessments.
  • Helping with reviews.
  • Helping with appeals.
  • Attending tribunals with you.
 
The benefits we support with:
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Universal Credit (UC)
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Bereavement Benefits
  • Carer’s Allowance (only if you are a Deaf or Disabled person and also a carer)
  • Council Tax Reduction
  • Housing Benefit
  • Over‑payments (only if you do not have any consumer credit debts, like credit cards or loans)
  • Pension Credit
  • Short-term help, like:
    • Merton’s Local Welfare Support Scheme
    • Budgeting Loans / Budgeting Advances
  • Underpayments (when you have been paid too little)
 
Benefits Checks
We can check your situation to make sure you are getting all the money you should be getting.
 

Concessionary Travel 

We can help you complete forms for the following:

  • Freedom Pass
  • Blue Badge
  • Taxicard
  • Dial-a-Ride

If you automatically qualify for any of the above, we may encourage and support you to complete the form yourself rather than us completing the form for you.

 

Social Care

We help Disabled people in Merton access Adult Social Care services. This may include:
  • Asking for a social care assessment. If you want to ask for one yourself, you can here. 
  • Getting ready for your social care assessment.
  • We can also go with you to the assessment.
  • Filling in a financial assessment.
  • Challenging charges if you think they are wrong.
 
We may also help with:
  • Advice about Direct Payments (money you can get to arrange your own care).
  • Complaints about community care.
  • Planning your care at home when being discharged from hospital.
  • Information about residential and nursing care, including assessments and costs/charges.
  • Support with services under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) and Aids & Adaptions  

We can work with you to explore Aids and Adaptations and Disabled Facilities Grant applications to help make your home more accessible. 

 

Grant Applications

We can help with grant applications, for example to Wimbledon Guild for help with things like food, warm clothing, essential furniture and household appliances. We will always check that you are eligible to apply for a grant before completing an application form.

 

Housing 

We can support you to get on to Merton's housing register. We also support with improving your position on Merton's housing register. 

We do not help with homelessness, S21 orders, possession proceedings, disrepair and landlord/tenant disputes. You can find a list of organisations that may be able to help with these issues here. 

 

What we DO NOT do

  • If you receive Direct Payments to pay for your adult social care, we are not able to help with any aspect of managing Direct Payments
  • For benefits cases, we do not help with applications to the Upper Tribunal
  • For Universal Credit, if you want help with the initial online application, we will signpost you to Citizens Advice
  • Neighbour disputes
  • NHS complaints
  • Any complaint, where the cause for complaint took place more than 6 months ago
  • For housing cases, we do not help with homelessness, S21 orders, possession proceedings, disrepair and landlord/tenant disputes.
  • Utilities arrears, rent or mortgage arrears, council tax arrears and other debt work

 

How to book an appointment with us

You can find out more about how to book an appointment here. 

Information to note about appointments:

  • We do not operate a drop-in service and all face-to-face meetings are by appointment only.
  • We will carry out a risk assessment with you before we meet face-to-face, to keep you and us safe.
  • It is very likely that you will have to wait for your first appointment. Waiting times vary throughout the year but can be anywhere between 2-12 weeks. We always book appointments as soon as we can.
  • If you live outside of Merton we can usually put you in touch with another organisation that can help. You can also see our useful information page which lists other advice organisations.

 

Organisations & Professionals - How to make a referral to Merton CIL 

Read more about how to make a referral here.