Expert and absolutely free of charge.

Welfare benefits advice is especially important to disabled people and we have a number of staff, paid staff and volunteers, who deal specifically with benefits enquiries, and who can assist with completing benefits application forms and support cases up to appeal and tribunal level. We support hundreds of local people throughout Carlisle and Eden and we do so without charging anything for our services. The many testimonials we receive from satisfied service users describe the high quality of our service as well as the commitment and sensitivity of our advisers.

With funding from the Northern Rock Foundation, Lloyds TSB Foundation and the Big Lottery Advice Plus programme we are able to employ three Advisers to provide free benefits advice and support throughout the Carlisle, Eden and South Lakeland districts of Cumbria.

Sue Thomson, below, is the Service Co-ordinator and Welfare Benefits Adviser in the Carlisle area. Her telephone number is 01228 672446 and email address suethomsondace@aol.com.

Carolyne James, above, is our Benefits Adviser in the Eden area. Her telephone number is 01768 480926, email carolynejdace@aol.com.

We have volunteers such as Kathy Parkin (pictured below) who help provide our Benefits Service.

With funding from Lloyds TSB and the Big Lottery we have now established a third office for benefits advice in Kendal to serve the South Lakes area. As part of a partnership with Leonard Cheshire Disability we have an office in the Riverview Centre near Sainsbury's Homebase in Kendal. The Adviser in Kendal is Stephen Hennefer and his number is 01539 731905, email shenneferdace@aol.com. He is usually available Monday to Wednesday for callers and to make home visits.      

If you have a benefits enquiry please telephone one of the Advisers, and if they are not available call our office on 01228 674882, or e-mail enquiries can be made via DaCEbase@aol.com. The office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

All of our Advisers make home visits for those who cannot get to an office, ask and one of the Advisers will arrange to come and see you in your home.