Targeted advice
Health, disability and care
Macmillan Benefit Advice service
Our Macmillan Benefits advisers offer detailed, independent, and confidential support to people with cancer, their carers, and families.
We aim to secure the best income support possible and provide advice to health and social care staff about financial help available for cancer patients. Support is available by phone and email. To get help, you can:
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Email or leave a voicemail: Our advisers check messages several times a day, Monday to Friday.
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Ask your nurse specialist: They can refer you to our service.
This support is available to anyone being treated for cancer at the Oxford University Hospitals Trust and living in Oxfordshire or nearby counties.
Call our Macmillan Benefits advisers on 01865 957828.
or Email: macmillan@citizensadviceoxford.org.uk
Multiple Sclerosis Generalist advice
Our dedicated MS adviser can give free, confidential, impartial and independent advice on a range of issues, including:
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Benefits – entitlement, claims and appeal
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Housing
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Debt and money
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Work
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Family
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Discrimination
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Health & social care
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And many other issues
We have provided advice to people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their carers in the West Oxfordshire area for many years. The charity’s free advice service supports people with a variety of issues such as benefits, consumer, employment, energy and supporting appeals.
The MS Society (West Oxfordshire) have worked in partnership with Citizens Advice West Oxfordshire to fund this essential service for people with MS. The charity helped appeal a benefit decision that found her fit for work, creating an overpayment of Employment and Support Allowance, The client said: “I wouldn’t have had a clue without your advice and would have just repaid the overpayment and carried on as I previously had done“. Citizens Advice successfully challenged the decision, removing the overpayment and ensuring that her income was maintained.
Another client’s father following the outcome of a successful Personal Independence Payment appeal, said: “As a family we cannot thank you enough for all you have done for us.” Our MS Caseworker has identified that Marie should be eligible for PIP, helped her to claim and when it was refused, help her to appeal the decision. This made a significant difference to her income and increased her eligibility for other benefits.
Tracy Clark, Citizens Advice West Oxfordshire Supervisor said:
“The MS project is a really rewarding project to work on as the client group are facing many challenges with their health as well as the presenting issues. The clients tend to have a real perseverance to overcome the difficulties they are faced with and are often very humble individuals. It’s a pleasure to work on this project.”
How to get in touch
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Telephone: 01865 410660
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Email: advice@oxfordshiresas.org.uk
To find your local Oxfordshire Citizens Advice for advice, click here.
Extra support
Many people with MS can claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP). It’s a benefit that can help cover the extra costs people may face if they need help doing everyday tasks or find it difficult to get around your home. Find out more about MS Society and how they can support people living with MS.
Ill health, disability and care advice
Oxfordshire Advice Partnership provides a dedicated telephone advice line and email service, which aims to answer all your queries around benefits, money advice, budgeting and other welfare issues and link you into services that can provide further support. This is backed up by a team of specialist advisers, who are able to meet face to face with people unable to access advice by telephone, email or in their local community.
We will be able to help you if you:
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Have a disability or long term illness
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Have someone in your family household with a disability or long term illness
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Are caring for someone with a disability or long term illness
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Are a young person transitioning from children’s care services
The service is free for people to use. It is jointly funded by Adult Social Care and Children, Education and Families, so it is focused on meeting the needs of people living in Oxfordshire who are struggling with their day-to-day lives due to disability or ill health.
The service is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. You can telephone 01865 410660 or email navigate@oxfordshireadvice.org.uk
Location services
Cottsway Money & Advice service
Cottsway Housing Association have partnered with Citizens Advice West Oxfordshire to provide a free information and advice service to all their tenants.
Starting as the largest local Registered Provider in West Oxfordshire, Cottsway Housing has expanded to provide housing in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire. The aim of this advice service is to provide equal access to advice and information to all Cottsway Housing tenants regardless of their location. Tenants will have access to a free telephone and digital service, providing triage, signposting, information and advice and casework
We work in partnership with all Cottsway customers, regardless of where you live, can contact this branch for help and advice.
Opening hours Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm
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Email: cottsway.housing@cawo.org.uk
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Call: 0300 303 8618
Citizens Advice offers free, independent and confidential advice to Cottsway clients on:
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Managing debt
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Managing your money and budgeting
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Welfare benefits and whether you qualify
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Applying for benefits
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Completing benefit applications
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Challenging a decision on benefits
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Understanding changes to benefits and how they affect you
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Dealing with change caused my moving in and out of work
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Increasing your working hours
RAF Brize Norton
The RAF Brize Norton Citizens Advice Service offers free, confidential, impartial advice given on any issue, such as relationship breakdown, housing, debt, money management and consumer advice – anything that is worrying. This service is available to serving personnel, their current and ex-partners if still living in SFA and civilian employees on the base.
Advice session times
Tuesday and Thursday
Appointments available 9am – 4 pm Families Centre, Ely Close, Carterton OX18 3UJ
Where to get in touch
Email: RAFBrizeNorton@cawo.org.uk
Telephone: 07786 110939
Citizens Advice West Oxfordshire has been running advice surgeries at RAF Brize Norton for 25 years. The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust grant has ensured that the largest RAF Base in the UK has continued access to good quality, holistic advice from an experienced caseworker that understands what it means to be part of the military family. We are very grateful to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust for this essential support, and to RAF Brize Norton for continuing to work closely with us and supporting this vital service for their personnel.