Welcome to the Cotgrave Advice Centre website
COVID-19.
The Advice Centre has been working throughout the Corona virus pandemic.
However, following Government guidelines we are not able to offer our usual face to face facility at the moment but will be working from home on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 am to 12 noon answering queries via our email:-
cotgraveadvicecentre@gmail.com
and on our mobile telephone line 07904 713006
We have also been keeping our website updated and this offers the answers to many of the questions people have.
We will re-open our face to face advice service as soon as we can, one morning a week with appointments required, to ensure the safety of staff and clients
Keep Alert
Jacky Shaw, Manager.
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Latest News :-Annual Report 2018-19
Cotgrave Advice Center is delighted to have been chosen as one of two charities to receive the profits from the 2020 event : see COG newsletter
Cotgrave Advice Centre, founded to help local residents during the mining dispute over 30 years ago, has been located in various parts of the village over the years. We now work out of All Saints’ Church, opposite Brumptons butchers.
Your advice centre is, and always has been entirely staffed and managed by volunteers and currently gets a small annual grant from Nottinghamshire County Council which meets the costs of the telephone, internet, postage and office facilities. Our services are offered freely to people that need them and we see about sixty people a month with a wide range of problems. We manage to sort out most of our clients’ problems ourselves but if we can’t, we know where to send people for the help they need or can pass on the work to local experts we have contacts with.
If you ever need help we are here for you. Our best advice is never put off problems (especially debt issues) until tomorrow, we are here and we will help. You will feel better getting the problem sorted.
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We provide advice on:
Benefits
Benefits are changing for most people at the moment. If you are worried regarding claiming Universal Credit, PIP, Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit we can help you. We also have software that enables us to check that you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to and to predict the changes to benefits that would happen if your circumstances were to change; come in and see us, our services are entirely free.
NOTE: NEW benefit claimants in the Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire area must now claim Universal Credit for what was :-
- Child Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Working Tax Credit
and this MUST be done online, so you will need to create an account on the Universal Credit system and have an email account of your own already set up. (Look at this Government Link to start you off).
Self service computers are available for use in the Cotgrave Hub Library which is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. Also note Rushcliffe Council Staff Advisers are available in the Cotgrave Hub Library Monday to Friday full time.
NOTE: You may be able to claim new style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) OR new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), with or instead of, Universal Credit, depending on your National Insurance record.
If you need help claiming Universal Credit come in and we can assist you.
Help is also available from these websites:
- CAB Benefits fact sheets
- Gov.UK Benefits
- Concessionary travel passes
- Blue Badges
- The best place to find government services and information
- Turn2us Benefit Calculator
- New Care Act 2014 Changes
- Mandatory Reconsideration Process
Consumer
Know your rights, if you are not happy with something you have purchased we can help you negotiate with the supplier; drop in to see us, our services are entirely free. If you wish to complain please also look at the “Help with Complaints” tab at the top of this page. This will help guide you through the process.
Help is also available from these websites:
Debt
Debt problems that are ignored just get worse. The first thing to do is make a financial statement showing all your income, outgoings and debts (we will help you do this). Once you have done this we can help you to manage your money and negotiate with creditors on your behalf. Unlike commercial debt advisers, we are independent and all our services are entirely free.
Help is also available from these websites:
Employment
Employment law continues to change and expand with the introduction every year of new legislation and judgements that introduce new rights that affect the way that preexisting legislation is applied.
Cotgrave Advice Centre are NOT currently in a position to offer advice relating to employment. However, employment help is available from these websites:
- ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service)
- CAB Work fact sheets
- Help with transport to work
Family
Family issues are always very worrying and distressing and you may need to speak to our solicitor. However, first drop in and see us and we will see what we can do to help, our services are entirely free.
Help is also available from these websites:
- Child Maintenance Options
- Child Maintenance Service and Child Support Agency
- Domestic Violence
- CAB Relationships fact sheets
- Free School Meals and Milk
- Men’s Advice Line
- Rape Crisis
- ISAS (Incest and Sexual Abuse Survivors)
- Childline
- 24-Hour Domestic Abuse help
- Family Fund – Grants for Disabled Children
- Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) (Police run)
- Nottinghamshire Help Yourself
Housing
We are able to mediate for you with housing issues and can help you claim the relevant housing benefits; come in and see us, our services are entirely free.
Rushcliffe Council Staff Advisers are available in the Cotgrave Hub Library Monday to Friday full time.
Help is also available from these websites:
- CAB Housing fact sheets
- Rushcliffe Housing
- Rushcliffe Council Tax and Benefits
- Metropolitan
- Waterloo
- Homesearch
- Parking Permits
- Severn Trent Water
- Bin Collections
- Register your car to use Nottinghamshire recycling centres
Legal
Appointments with our solicitor(s) are for half an hour. Advice given at the advice centre is free. However, if you decide you need the solicitors to act for you will need to pay for their services.
Before we book you an appointment with our solicitor please drop in and see us so that we can do what is needed, in advance, to make your appointment fruitful.
In circumstances where mediation is suitable, our solicitors also offer a mediation service as an alternative means of settling disputes (without having to go to Court). For people on low incomes they would offer this on a pro bono (free) basis.
These solicitors support our Advice Centre, their website is:
Also here are some useful, related web links and places where you can download court forms that you may need:
- Justice
- Court Forms
- Appealing a parking ticket
- Make a lasting power of attorney
- Information regarding Annuities to cover cost of care homes
- Nottingham Law School (Free Appointmants)
- Nottingham Law Centre (Free Clinics)
- Help with Court Forms
Pensions
At our Centre we CAN NOT provide financial advice. However, the following links provide information in relation to the pension laws that came into effect in 2014 -15.
- Pension Changes – Pension Wise
- Pension Flexibilities and DWP Benefits
- Tax Help for Older People (also see out Tax support below)
- No Desire to Retire
Tax
Cotgrave Advice Centre are NOT currently in a position to offer inhouse, comprehensive specialist Tax advice. However, we have arrangements in place to access expert Tax advice and help for clients who are over 60 from external agencies with whom we partner, so if you are over 60 come in and see us.
Help is also available from this website: