Do you need specialist advice to assist your clients with issues of Debt, Welfare Benefits or Housing Law?

The FLATS Helpline service is free to staff and volunteers

 of front line agencies in Birmingham

Call 0800 781 3978 (free from a landline) or 0300 456 8372 (3p pm from a mobile)

The service

The 24 hour helpline provides non-emergency advice by specialist legal advisers to staff and volunteers of frontline agencies. This is not a public service which can be used directly by clients.

About the Helpline

Frontline agencies (whether a local community organisation or a large national NGO) are often the first to become aware of the legal problems which their clients face. While larger organisations may be able to provide specialist support workers with detailed practical knowledge of some of the areas of social welfare work, few have in-house provision for up to date legal advice.

The FLATS helpline aims to:

• Improve the ability of frontline staff and volunteers to provide initial guidance and support to their clients to address simple legal issues in the areas of debt, welfare benefits and housing law.
• Advise when a complex case should be dealt with by a specialist agencies. 

Advice will be provided in the areas of debt, welfare benefits and housing law.