NEATH Port Talbot Council’s Welfare Rights Service has helped some of the county borough’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged residents to access more than £12 million in additional income during the 2024/25 financial year.
The support includes help with claiming a wide range of benefits such as Disability Living Allowance, Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payments, and many others. The service offers tailored advice and practical assistance, including help with completing forms, budgeting support, and guidance on what residents may be entitled to. Welfare Rights officers also work closely with social workers, particularly when supporting families in crisis to offer advice and guidance on the support available.
Between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025, the Welfare Rights Service supported over 1,400 residents via its advice line and represented residents at benefit tribunals with a 93% success rate.
The service has consistently increased the amount of income it has helped residents access. In the last financial year (2024/25), £12,437,869 was raised — exceeding the £10,561,959 secured in 2023/24 and £7,036,537 in 2022/23. Already in the current financial year, the service has helped residents access over £6 million in additional income.
Residents can access the service through a dedicated advice line and six outreach advice surgeries located in communities across Neath Port Talbot. In addition, the service includes Macmillan benefit officers who specialise in the benefits available to cancer patients.
Councillor Jo Hale, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services & Health, said: “It’s vital that we continue to support our most vulnerable and disadvantaged residents to ensure they are accessing the financial support they’re entitled to and maximising their income.
“The Welfare Rights Service plays a crucial role in helping people navigate complex systems and secure the help they need.”
For more information about the support available through the Welfare Rights Service, visit the council’s Welfare Rights
webpage. Alternatively, email: [email protected] or call: (01639) 685225.
To find out what other support is available to help with rising costs, inflation and cost of living pressures, visit the council’s dedicated Help with the Cost of Living webpage or pick up a leaflet at a local library or civic centre.
