EXTENSION TO CONTRACT - BENEFITS ADVICE SERVICE

Tender description

The Mental Health Clinical Board has a requirement to extend the existing contract for the Benefits Advice Service. The Contract expiry is due on 31st March 2021 in line with the original contract award against Tender 16/2214. As a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, the Mental Health Clinical Board have had to realign priorities and respond to the situation and therefore have not had the time that was originally planned to work on the renewal Tender and therefore seek an annual extension. The aim of the service is support for many people with mental health problems who find it difficult, or even impossible to cope with complicated money, debt and benefits issues which sometimes demand interviews or physical examinations as well as a great deal of form filling. Mental health problems can cause severe debt, and severe debt can cause mental health problems. The aim of this service contract is to deliver services to a vulnerable client group by reducing ‘access’ barriers and providing early intervention, to ensure that financial issues do not develop into debt, and as a consequence potential homelessness and to ensure income maximisation , through welfare benefit and debt advice, enabling access to a basic income.