Meet Benefits Advisor Dave McNaughton: No, seriously, meet him!

The hospice partners with Citizens Advice Wirral to offer a service each Thursday and Friday here, staffed by their friendly and thoroughly professional advisor, Dave McNaughton.

He can offer FREE, independent, impartial and practical advice for patients and their families who are referred to the hospice through any of our outpatients, Wellbeing Centre or inpatients services.

Dave’s life experience, before Citizens Advice, ranges from being a chef at various Wirral restaurants, hotels and schools (ask him) to being a researcher and planner for seven years at Merseytravel.

You could say he likes people to know they can be well-fed and can also get easily from A-to-B!

This may well inform Dave’s professional practise as a benefits advisor because people living with life limiting illnesses are often entitled to further help to meet the challenges of their everyday lives.

Things like,

• Providing guidance for requesting a care needs assessment from Wirral Borough Council.
• Investigating and applying for a blue badge for parking access if illness is affecting mobility.
• Helping with attendance allowance applications if you’re of state pension age and you need extra help to stay independent in your own home.
• Advice for accessing housing benefit if you’re on a low income or receive other benefits.
• Emergency support with major utility bills, e.g. the British Gas initiative You Pay: We Pay.

Dave works closely with the hospice’s patient and family support services social worker, Julian, so, if you need any advice at all in these or any social care matters, please ask a member of your care or support team here about arranging a meeting. Or ring 0151-482-8987 for an appointment, because if they can’t help you directly they will definitely be able to signpost the organisation or other individuals who can.