Metropolitan Housing Joins Every Pound Counts Campaign

Metropolitan Housing Partnership (MHP) and Lambeth Council have joined forces to provide the Every Pound Counts surgery to local residents. The surgeries will offer benefits advice and support for older people, carers, and children and adults living with disability or ill health who live in Lambeth.

The first in a fortnightly series of surgeries will take place on Wednesday 27 February 2008 at Metropolitan Housing Partnership's supported housing scheme at Lingham Court, in Stockwell. Residents from the scheme have been invited along with local residents, carers, and other supported schemes within Lambeth.

The Every Pound Counts campaign was launched last year by Lambeth Council and the surgeries will provide a range of services that include:

• help filling in a benefit forms and appealing against claims

• benefits assessment due to changes in circumstances and carrying out any necessary calculations

• providing advice and information in a more easily digestible and jargon free way.

• contacting the DWP, local authority and other relevant agencies on claimants behalf.

An example of the need for the surgery is illustrated in the estimated £660* million of carers' benefits go unclaimed nationally each year. The partnership between Metropolitan Housing Partnership and Lambeth Council aims to address the imbalance and ensure that people are getting all the benefits they are entitled to.

Jonathan Astbury, manager of Lingham Court says, "Finance and financial stability is such as serious issue for older people and often can be confusing. We hope that the surgeries will help put more pounds in their pocket. There are also those that are carers for older people within their family and are under immense financial strain. The hopefully offer information that will ultimately ease that strain. Its alarming how much money goes unclaimed each year simply because people don't know what they are entitled to."

Those that are interested in the surgeries are asked to contact:
The Lambeth Every Pound Counts team at Lambeth on Tel: 020 7926 5555. Consult their website or email

Press Enquiries:

Communications
Metropolitan Housing Partnership
The Grange
100 High Street
Southgate
London N14 6PW
Tel: 020 8920 7604
Fax: 020 8920 7629
Email