Pop-up shop for benefits advice to be launched in Bell Green

[dutchman]

A “Pop-Up Shop” offering residents advice on benefit changes will be launched in Bell Green after its success in the city centre.

The temporary shop will be set up in Riley Square to help people with a number of issues, from the new bedroom tax to changes to disability living allowance and tax credits.

Experts from the council, Whitefriars Housing, the Citizens Advice Bureau and Coventry Law Centre will be on hand to answer questions when it opens from 10am-4pm on Monday and Tuesday next week.

It comes after the success of the “pop-up shop” in Cathedral Lanes which 500 people visited when it opened last month.

Pop-up shops will also be held in Tile Hill, Willenhall and in the city centre again during the coming months.

Charley Gibbons, manager of CAB and chair of the Coventry Partnership, said: “We are delighted that so many agencies are working together to tackle the welfare reform changes.

“We have a number of experts available in one place who will be offering advice on reducing fuel bills, helping people get online, on effective ways for managing tight budgets and lots more.

“There is a real commitment across the city to mitigate the effects of welfare reform and we want people to have every opportunity to prepare for the changes now.”

Coun David Welsh (Lab, St Michael’s) said: “We are committed to ensuring we protect vulnerable people, and that is was why we retained the existing levels of support and funded the £3million gap in council tax benefit”

Simon Brooke, head of income management for Whitefriars Housing, said: “Thousands of our customers are affected by the changes to benefits.

“Our message is clear – ‘Don’t wait’.

“If you are worried about how the changes affect you, come and speak to us or another agency and we can try and help.”