About the Citizens Advice Bureau

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is fortunate to have a specialist welfare rights service on site, delivered by Camden Citizens Advice Bureau in partnership with GOSH.This service is situated at GOSH in recognition of the overwhelming evidence linking poverty and inequality to poorer health. We are able to give advice in the right place and at the right time.

We specialise in social security law and welfare rights. We advise families at GOSH on a range of issues, including:

• Benefits

• Employment

• Housing and homelessness

• Landlord and tenant problems

• Debt and money management

• Community care, including Children Act assessments

• Immigration and asylum

• Specialist advice and casework for EEA and Swiss nationals

We give advice face-to-face, by telephone and by e-mail as well as carrying out casework. We are able to make representations on families' behalf, including at the First-Tier and Upper Tribunals for benefits appeals. We also carry out social policy work to try and improve the policies and practices which adversely affect people's lives.

Our work is free, impartial, independent and confidential. The service is delivered by a group of paid staff and volunteer advisers.

We have produced a range of Top Tips Sheets for clinicians and others interested in supporting families with social welfare problems. These give a non-exhaustive overview of the areas of law in which we work and give some tips about what you can do if asked to help. Currently in the series are:

Front Sheet (146.74 KB) Disability benefits (236.63 KB)Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (209.98 KB)Child Tax Credit (184.39 KB)Benefit cap (180.81 KB) Bedroom Tax (178.37 KB)Housing and homelessness (233.61 KB)Community Care (207.94 KB)People from abroad (224.31 KB)Health inequalities (658.58 KB) We will soon also be producing information sheets for people looking after a sick or disabled child. These will be uploaded here once available.

Currently the service is only available through referrals by the Social work team or Pals.

We are only able to see families who have a child at GOSH. If you do not have a child at GOSH but need advice, please visit the Citizens Advice website to get advice or find your local Citizens Advice office.

Our advice team currently consists of:

• Nick Wright, CAB Manager and Senior Adviser
• Sushila Snell, Adviser
• Matthew Jay, Specialist Adviser for EEA and Swiss Migrants
• Adam Holden, Adviser
• Carolyn Goldhill, Adviser
• Deborah Farquhar-Snaith, Adviser
• Heather Brindle, Adviser