Welcome

Welcome to the Cotgrave Advice Centre website

 

Latest News :-

Annual Report 2017-18

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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. Last year we moved into All Saints’ Church,  opposite Brumptons butchers, because the Methodist Church Hall is going to be renovated.

The move took a lot of work at both ends but was an opportunity for us to rationalise our files and improve some of our office facilities. We are happy in our new location and hope that our clients like the new location too.

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. 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.

November 2017

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We provide advice on:

Benefits

Benefits are changing for most people at the moment. If you are worried regarding claiming ESA, 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.

Help is also available from these websites:

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 rights operate. Recognising the many changes in employment law, Cotgrave Advice Centre are in a position to offer up comprehensive specialist employment advice in all areas of employment;

  1. Employment Law System
  2. The Categories of a Worker
  3. Starting Work and the Employment Contract
  4. Rights to Pay and Conditions
  5. Union and Collective Organisations
  6. Discrimination
  7. Sick Pay and Sickness Absence
  8. Leave for Working Parents
  9. Industrial Action
  10. Dismissal
  11. Redundancy
  12. Business Transfers and Contracting out

Cotgrave Advice Centre as well as having in depth and comprehensive employment expertise can also access Professional Legal Employment Advice via our visiting Solicitors (see below).

Help is also available from these websites::

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:

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 also send a housing expert to the Cotgrave Police Station on Wednesday mornings.

Help is also available from these websites:

Legal

Appointments with our solicitor 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:

Pensions

At our Centre we can not provide financial advice. However, the following links provide information in relation to the new pension laws that have come into effect in 2014 -15.

Tax

We have an income tax specialist. However, he only comes when needed and an appointment is therefore required. Please drop in so that we can make the appointment and prepare your paperwork etc for his visit, our services are entirely free.

Help is also available from this website:

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