Advice & Advocacy

Optua Advice and Advocacy provides expert and impartial advice and guidance for people with disabilities or health problems, principally in central and western areas of Suffolk. The service is also available to their carers, family members and other professionals working with disabled people, and provides help with social security benefits, tax credits, community care or any related issue.

As well as social security benefits, Optua Advice and Advocacy can also help with other disability issues such as blue badges.

The service helps to identify people's benefit entitlements, assess what they are entitled to and explain the various disability tests for benefits and tax credits. It can also help people who are reapplying for existing claims for benefit.

If someone is appealing against a decision on their benefit, the service can provide support and representation at appeal tribunals and review boards. A large number of referrals for this service are received from other organisations or agencies who are unable to or no longer offer this service.

Our dedicated staff and volunteers are sympathetic, experienced and have undergone extensive training. Many of those working for the service have direct knowledge or experience of a wide range of health or disability problems.

Optua's Advice and Advocacy service is affiliated to DIAL UK and operates under Community Legal Service Guidelines. The service is free and is run from offices in Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds. It is largely funded by Suffolk County Council's social care services but also relies on fundraising and donations are gratefully received.

The telephone line is manned from 10am to 12noon on Mondays and Fridays and from 9.30am to 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. An answer phone service is available at all other times. Requests for advice can also be sent by post, fax, email advice@optua.org.uk or text phone.

To contact the service in Stowmarket call 01449 672781, or fax 01449 770135.

To get in touch with our service in Bury St. Edmunds office call 01284 748800, or fax 01284 748889.