July 2021
We are now back to mainly working in the office – with some support from Volunteers at home.
We have made the following decisions, for the immediate future, keeping the health and safety of our staff and clients paramount:
We can help you complete benefits forms (PIP, ESA DLA, AA etc) either over the telephone or face-to-face in person (from 19th July, on a needs basis).
Our face-to-face appointments are still very scarce as we have a higher than usual vulnerability amongst our staff and also amongst you, our clients.
If you have been denied a benefit or have been awarded less than expected – PLEASE get in touch. We can still represent you – and have an excellent record in this area.
We can help you if you are in crisis or need help urgently – please do not suffer in silence – do get in touch.
If you need us, please call us on 01394 387070 or email: advice@daseastsuffolk.org
DAS has been working at the heart of the East Suffolk community for over 35 years supporting anyone with a disability related problem including family carers.
We provide impartial, free advice on welfare benefits (inc appeals representation); housing; adaptations to the home and accessible transport and leisure.
We can answer your questions about employment, or volunteering, when disabled and signpost you to people who can help in a practical way.
We have a Listening Service, to check in on clients we haven’t heard from in a while – talk to us about whatever you need to in these calls.
We can HELP IN A CRISIS – so please do not suffer alone, call us and we will do all we can for you…
you are not alone.
It is our mission to build confidence and improve the lives of those experiencing disability related issues:
“Enabling those who live with disabilities to gain the same rights and quality of life opportunities as others.”
DAS is a Disabled Persons’ Organisation (DPO). These are representative organisations where persons with disabilities constitute a majority of the overall staff, board, and volunteers at all levels. DPO’s primary aim is the empowerment and growth of self-advocacy of persons with disabilities. DPOs understand disability in accordance with the social model, which notes that barriers are caused by society, rather than by a person’s disability.
The entire service is run by just one full-time manager and six part-time staff – with the help of around a dozen skilled and committed volunteers. Additionally we have 9 active trustees.
About two thirds of our staff/trustees live with a disability.
In 2020 we handled over 5,600 enquiries advising 1,086 clients representing 75 at appeals with a 100% success rate.
The total Year 1 benefit gain for clients was £2,111,829, however, when the average longevity of benefit awards is taken into account this scales up to £7,175,091.
