The Advice Network & Training
Partnership (Bradford District)

Registered Charity No. 1105947

Welcome to the Advice Network and Training Partnership (Bradford District)

The Advice Network and Training Partnership (ANTP) is the network of independent advice centres, serving local communities across the whole of Bradford Metropolitan District. We give advice about: Debt, Benefits, Tax Credits, Disability Allowances, Housing, Homelessness, Employment Rights, Fuel, Utilities, Immigration, Nationality, Asylum, Consumer, Community Care and related problems.

How can you get advice in Bradford District?
Welfare Reforms: cuts and changes to Benefits and Tax Credits
Bedroom Tax and discretionary housing payments
Council Tax help and Discretionary Support Payments
Personal Independence Payment
ESA 'work capability assessment'
Energy bills, debt and fuel poverty

How can you get face-to-face advice in Bradford District?

You have two options:

1) Click here for basic contact details for all ANTP advice centres - this gives you their head office adress and telephone number. Click here for a leaflet with those details that you can download and keep.

2) Click here to search for details of all the advice sessions (over 100) provided by ANTP advice centres, and some legal aid solicitors, across the whole of Bradford District. You can search by postcode and by type of problem.

You can also find details of some national telephone advice services on 'telephone helplines and websites' page on this website.

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Welfare Reforms: cuts and changes to Benefits and Tax Credits
Major reforms to the social security system will take place in 2013 and for some years after then. Cuts and changes will affect almost all people of working age and they are already having an impact on local people.

• Click here for a short briefing paper by the ANTP which gives a basic introduction.
• Click here for a powerpoint presentation by the ANTP on these changes.
• Click here to find more detail about the changes - this will take you to the Advice Guide website.
• Click here to read case studies of how the changes are affecting clients of advice centres in Bradford District.

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Housing Benefit 'bedroom tax' and discretionary housing payments
From April 2013, people under pension age who rent from social landlords (eg Incommunities) and who have 'too many bedrooms' will have their Housing Benefit cut. There are some exemptions and protections - click here to find out more.

However for many people the only help available will be discretionary housing payments (DHPs). You can find out how to apply by clicking here. Bradford Council has agreed its policy on applications to its DHP fund which you can find by clicking here and going to the bottom of the page.

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Council Tax Support and Discretionary Support Payments - new local schemes: in April 2013, the government abolished Council Tax Benefit and Social Fund Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans. Instead there are new schemes run by Bradford Council. You can find out more by clicking here for information from the Council's Department of Revenues & Benefits.

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Personal Independence Payment: this will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from June 2013 onwards. Many people who currently receive DLA will not be affected until after October 2013, if they need to renew their DLA claim; or in October 2015, if their DLA award runs till then or if it is 'indefinite'. You can read more about the rules for PIP and when it replaces DLA on the Disability Rights UK website.

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Employment Support Allowance and Atos assessments for the Work Capability Assessment
The 'work capability assessment' is the test used to decide if someone is too ill to work. It is very important that you explain your health problems fully but the claim form does not ask all the relevant questions. Please click here to find out details of all the rules and guidance about the assessment process. Click here for a guide about how to complete the ESA 50 form

You can read a national report about the problems people have had with the 'work capability assessment' in a report published by the disabled people's campaign group 'We Are Spartacus'.

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Energy bills, debts and fuel poverty
Gas and electricity prices have risen very fast in recent years, while most peoples' incomes have not, so more people are struggling to pay their fuel bills. You can download a practical briefing on the cheapest fuel tariffs and how to get help with fuel debts. Please click here

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The ANTP is supported by
the Big Lottery Fund