This online handbook is for welfare benefits advisers and others working in community groups and advice organisations.  And for advice managers who wish to develop and improve the discrimination advice that their organisation provides.

This handbook will help you use practical equality rights when giving welfare benefits advice.  It includes a variety of tips, tools and guidance. These are designed to help:

• advisers and those working in community and other advice organisations to identify discrimination issues and know where to get more help
• advisers working in welfare benefits advice to effectively apply the Equality Act and Human Rights Act in everyday situations
• more advisers to give discrimination advice, so that more people will get the advice they need to solve their problems
• advisers and advice managers to improve the discrimination advice that welfare benefits advisers can give.

You can also download a Quick Guide to the handbook (pdf)

The handbook is arranged in four main sections:

• Is it discrimination? This includes practical tips and tools for identifying discrimination.
• Solving problems with equality rights. This includes practical tips and tools to help advisers use equality rights to solve everyday problems in welfare benefits advice in a practical way.
• Managing discrimination advice. This includes a guide to managing and improving the delivery of discrimination advice.
• Showing the equality impact of welfare benefits advice. This includes an introductory guide to show how you can demonstrate the equality impacts of the welfare benefits advice you deliver, using the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Measurement Framework.

The handbook also contains:

• An A to Z about equality. A plain English A to Z glossary of all things equality related, including legal terms and concepts.
• Case studies. There are six practical case studies about using equality rights to solve problems in welfare benefits advice, including example letters and responses, and three short policy case studies focusing on the equality impacts of welfare benefits rules.
• A directory of equality resources. This includes information about many organisations and resources that will be of practical help to welfare benefits advisers using equality rights to solve problems.
• Posters to download (pdf). Including: Is it discrimination?; Practical problem solving using equality rights;  Using equality rights in welfare benefits advice; and, Help with using equality rights in welfare benefits

Everyday Equality conference, London, May 2018 – resources

On 10 May 2018 we held our Everyday Equality conference in London to launch our online handbook: Practical Equality Rights in Welfare Benefits Advice. At the event, we heard many brilliant insights about the challenges and opportunities of using equality rights in welfare benefits advice. Find out more.

Below are the presentations and papers available from the day to share with you.

• Everyday Equality Conference 10 May 2018 Agenda
• Everyday Equality: challenging discrimination in welfare benefits advice – Jo Chimes, Equality and Diversity Forum
• Keynote Speech: the opportunities for challenging discrimination in welfare benefits – Sara Lomri, Public Law Project
• Benefit Conditionality and Equality Law – Ayaz Manji, Mind; Katy Watts, Public Law Project; Martin Williams, Child Poverty Action Group
• The Equality Impacts of Welfare Reform – Lucy Cadd, Leigh Day
• Cumulative Impact Analysis – Howard Reed and Jonathan Portes, Landman Economics & Aubergine Analysis
• ‘Everyday Equality’ and Justice Policy – Nimrod Ben-Cnaan, Law Centres Network
• Getting Legal Aid to Challenge Discrimination in Welfare Benefits Cases – Desmond Rutledge, Garden Court Chambers
• How to Get Legal Aid for Discrimination Advice (2) – Desmond Rutledge, Garden Court Chambers
• Addendum: How to Get Legal Aid for Discrimination Advice (2) – Desmond Rutledge, Garden Court Chambers
• Getting Legal Aid to Challenge Discrimination in Welfare Benefits Cases – Matt Ahluwalia, Public Law Project
• Citizens Advice Ipswich: Helping clients know their RIGHTS and fight discrimination – Nelleke van Helfteren, Citizens Advice Ipswich
• The Benefits of Collaborative Working – Daphne Hall, rightsnet
• Collaborative Working to End Unfairness and Discrimination in Welfare Benefits: A Local Perspective – Salli Edwards, Citizens Advice Flintshire
• 3Ds Universal Credit Leaflet – Ipswich & Suffolk Council for Racial Equality and Citizens Advice Ipswich
• Sanctions Project Flyer – Public Law Project
• How to Get Legal Aid Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) in Welfare Benefits Cases – Public Law Project
• Universal Credit and Explicit Consent: Request for Evidence – Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Is it Discrimination? Poster – Equality and Diversity Forum
• Practical Problem Solving Using Equality Rights Poster – Equality and Diversity Forum
• Using Equality Rights in Welfare Benefits Advice Poster – Equality and Diversity Forum
• Help with Using Equality Rights in Welfare Benefits Poster – Equality and Diversity Forum

Author: Various

Publication date: 29 May 2018