Advice & Advocacy

Optua Advice and Advocacy provides free, expert and impartial advice and guidance for people with disabilities or health problems, principally in central and west Suffolk. The service is also available to their carers, family members and other professionals working in the field of disability.

The service helps to identify people's benefit entitlements and assists with the completion of relevant application forms. We can also help people who are reapplying for benefits.

The service also provides advice and information on all disability issues such as blue badges, transport, leisure, holidays, housing, equipment and independent living.

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.

We deal with thousands of enquiries each year and succeed in helping our clients claim overal benefits of in excess of £1.5million, a figure which is increasing every year.

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 01473 836779.

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.

IMCA Suffolk Service

Our advice and advocacy service is also running the new Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Service in Suffolk in partnership with Age Concern, East Suffolk Mind and Ace. For more information you can visit the website here.