Welcome to the social care and welfare benefits side of the tcell.org.uk website.

Latest : 21st Century Welfare - DWP Consultation - Closes 1st October 2010

DWP The Work Capability Assessment - A Call for Evidence Closes 10th September 2010

Consultation on changes to the allocation formulae for AIDS Support Grant amongst others ... DOH - Closes 6th October 2010

Government news and related items are listed as we continue to campaign, lobby, consult, discuss and inform upon issues relating to benefits, social care, service provision, rights and responsabilities from those, like us, who live with or are affected by HIV/AIDS.

Through clicking on the option Forums (click here) or links provided, we have covered different Topic's for you to use, read and participate in, please let us know if a new category is required, if this is not covered. Please also use the blog for your comments, stories and experiences.  

2010 brings additional changes ranging from Welfare Benefit most notable from October 2010, this will be the start of the migration for existing Incapacity Benefits (IB) claimants to the new Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), a process to take several years and will no doubt raise additional concerns and issues that will be needed to be addressed.

You can also find additional information about Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.

We don't yet know how this will impact upon existing HIV claimants but will work as always; with other agencies to get the information out to you. If you are currently in receipt of Incapacity Benefit please click here to read some important information released by the Dept. of Works and Pensions in error. Welfare benefits, entitlements, law and criteria changes regularly.

Community and Social Care Services provision provided by the state, the NHS, your local council or Primary Care Trust (PCT) or the voluntary (Third) sector has and will continue to change. In 2009 we developed a forum for information on Community and Social Care issues, this looks at an individual rights, entitlements and responsibilities; you may find further assistance and information with other day-to-day issues here, even help or support you were not aware of.

In 2009 and 2010, we analysed the AIDS Support Grant (ASG) which is available to English local councils, we sought information from the 32 London Borough's and the City of London which provides support and services to people living with HIV/AIDS, regrettably this information provides us with the evidence of the disparity that exists within London, also incorporated within this forum are reports and publications on issues such as social, health and income inequalities, deprivation, social exclusion and much more for reference. Additional to the ASG allowance, a capital grant of £3million pounds is available to help support people with HIV related housing issues per annum. We would like to extend this information to cover the rest of the United Kingdom and need your help. Now looking at people with personnel budgets and direct payments we find and list for your information and analysis.

Government work and legalisation has already been set in place to help support and assist our lives through the Disabled Equality Duty, Gender Equality, Equality Act, Community Care (Direct Payment) Act and much more. The "Roadmap 2025" document recently published will help with our campaign. The publication last year by Sigma Research's "Framework for better living with HIV in England" are amongst other reports and issues raised, which we hope will be used to set a National Framework of support and assistance for all. 

If you live within Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or the European Union, you will find additional information here specifically to you. Are you HIV+ in work or seeking work here is some additional information for you.

We continue to rely on YOU to let us know about YOUR experiences, through sharing our experiences and information, we can all better deal with the issues at hand and face them collectively, as we continue to support each other.  You may also be interested in the work done by the  All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS and coverage of the HIV community in Baseline magazine.

We will continue, as best we can, to keep you up-to-date upon matters around welfare and social care issues as well as consultations or surveys you can take part in or you yourself can write to them.

We cannot deal with individual issues directly; as we are not qualified welfare advisors. Where you have a particular issue we always recommend that you should seek proper or legal advice from a Welfare Rights Worker, Social Services, a Solicitor or a suitably qualified person.

Any comments, issues etc. feel free to post a comment , email or .

For help and support on how to use the Forums.

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