Tens of millions of pounds in benefits and other help currently goes unclaimed in Wales. That’s money which can make a real difference in families’ lives and their futures.
The reasons why this help isn’t taken up are many, and sometimes complex, but the main reasons are because people don’t know the help is there or don’t believe that they could qualify for it.
Many people are also nervous in asking about what help there might be for them. They may not know who to ask about what help is available or they may not want to seem as if they need help.
Dangos aims to increase the knowledge and awareness about the availability of help for frontline workers. That is people who are in day-to-day contact, whether paid or voluntary, with families who might need extra help.
Dangos aren’t going to try to turn people into benefit experts or advisers, just to give them some more knowledge and information about what help there is and some tips in encouraging people to take up their rights.
They are doing this by offering a series of free online sessions to frontline workers throughout Wales, starting in January 2021 and continuing through the year. The three-hour long sessions, which will be very interactive, will be supported by a short information pack, and, for those who want it, free access to more detailed e-learning courses about the benefits system and how it works.
The sessions and the information pack will be provided in Welsh and English, as will some of the online courses. The online sessions will be delivered primarily in Zoom, but there will be a number of Microsoft Teams sessions where organisations’ policies require it. There will also be British Sign Language sessions in English and Welsh. The timing and pattern of these courses will be dependent upon demand.
Dangos will also be happy to provide free online courses for groups of staff from the same agencies, between 10 and 20 in each session, and may be able to ‘tweak ‘the content appropriately.
The Dangos website gives more details and allows people to register, individually, for sessions. The website is at www.dangos.wales and www.dangos.cymru.
Dangos are asking you to encourage your staff and volunteers, where appropriate, to take part in this important initiative. Just by being a little bit more aware of what help is around and of the type of families who might be able to get it, they can make a big difference to people’s lives.
If you would like any more information, or are interested in in-house sessions, please contact Dangos at info(at)dangos.cymru or info(at)dangos.wales.
