In the 2006-07 budget passed in May 2007 out went Camden's nationally-respected Welfare Rights Unit, now broken up with key staff leaving and others split up across the council.
Since 2002 the Unit worked with other parts of the council and with local advice agencies, like the CABx, on income maximisation campaigns. These netted over £10 million in 4 years for local people in Working (Families) Tax Credit and extra money for carers and older people. Special projects took place in Highgate New Town and Kilburn which contacted hundreds of parents and pensioners, bringing them extra state money to help with bills or childcare.
Advice services (CABx, Camden Law Centre and others) long seen by the Tories as the bastion of urban trendy lefties and local trots, were the target in January 2007 just as it is now by the right-wing Tory administration in Hammersmith and Fulham, see here. yet the perform a vital function, giving needed advice to people who have no one to turn to.
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