Benefits - overview & contact details

Charges & Benefits

Benefits - overview & contact details

In recent years benefit services have changed. The current services now come under one organisation called the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The services offered are:

How to apply for welfare support and benefits in Devon:

Jobcentre Plus

Helps people of working age to find work and get benefits they are entitled to.

The correct address for benefit related correspondence for queries on existing claims only is

Jobcentre Plus (Plymouth BDC)
Breakwater Road
Plymouth
PL95 8BL

This office processes all claims to benefit from customers living in Devon only.

For other enquiries, first contact is by telephone:

- If you are looking for work and would like to find out about current jobs available through the Jobcentre, call 0845 6060 234 (text phone 0845 6055 255)

- To call to make a new claim for benefits call 0800 055 6688 (text phone 0800 0234 888)

- If you wish to apply for a crisis loan from the Social Fund, call 0800 032 8349

- If you have a question about the Social Fund call 0845 608 8616

- Benefit Enquiries for existing claims, call 0845 603 6095

- National Insurance Numbers 0845 600 0643

The Pensions Service:

Provides services and support for pensioners and people looking into pensions and retirement.

The pensions service operates from pension centres. These are not call-in offices and all contact is made by telephoning this central number - 0845 606 0265.

From 6 October 2003 there are new benefits for over 60 year olds - Pension Credits:

contact the Pension Credit hotline 0800 991234 (textphone:0800 169 0133).

Child Support Agency:

Administers the Child Support Scheme.

The Child Support Agency also known as the CSA operate from regional offices. The contact details for the office covering Devon and the South West is:

South West Business Unit
Plymouth CSAC
Clearbrook House
Towerfield Drive
Bickleigh Down Business Park
Plymouth
PL6 7TN

Client Helpline: 084557 137000
Minicom Telephone: 08457 137217.

Child Benefit Centre:

Deals with benefits paid for dependent children. From April 2003 this service moved and is now part of the Inland Revenue.

On 1st April 2003 Child Benefit, changed to become a tax credit. As a result, this 'benefit' is now the responsibility of the Inland Revenue.

All claims and enquiries for Child Benefit continue to go through one central office:

Child Benefit Office
P.O. Box 1
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
NE88 1AA

Tel: 0845 302 1444
Text Phone: 0845 302 1474

Disability and Carers Service:

Delivers a range of benefits to disabled people and carers.

The South West of England has one regional office for claims and enquiries:

Bristol DBC
Flowers Hill
Brislington
Bristol
BS4 5LA

Tel: 0117 971 8311
Fax: 0117 971 8301

Appeals Service:

Deals with appeals on decisions made on; social security, child benefit, housing benefit, council tax benefit, vaccine damage, tax credit and compensation recovery.

There are three Appeals Service Centres in Devon:

7th Floor
The Civic Centre
Barnstaple
EX31 1D4

Tel: 01771 372 252
Fax: 01271 322 968
2nd Floor
Keble House
Southernhay Gardens
Exeter
EX1 1NT

Tel: 01392 288438
Fax: 0870 7394436
St. Catherine's House
5 Notte Street
Plymouth
PL1 2TS

Tel: 01752 268361
Fax: 01752 228487

Welfare Rights:

Our Finance and Benefits Team offer a welfare benefit check when making sure that only a fair charge is made for any of our chargeable services. However, we do not provide a specific advice, information and representation service on aspects of welfare benefits and debt problems.

You can get independent advice on benefits from the Citizens Advice Bureaux or from Care Direct if you are over 60 years of age.

Devon County Council

Charges & Benefits