Free advice sessions on housing support, benefits and employment development are being hosted in Fartown and Deighton.

The drop-in sessions are part of the Community Satellite Programme (CSP) which aims to give essential advice to communities which could otherwise become isolated and slip into poverty.

Project Coordinator Dominic Pinnock said: “CSP has found that many people living in Huddersfield have become increasingly isolated and alienated from services which are more centrally based, becoming less informed and aware of legal services, housing support and benefits issues, employment and business development.”

CSP has become more important since changes to Legal Aid which were introduced in April 2013, to remove cover for debt, re-possessions and welfare benefits.

Dominic added: “The services that are available have waiting lists and may not have the capacity to deal with existing and new customers”.

CSP has been running since November 2012 and has benefitted from National Lottery Funding.

The services now available include:

A developed programme of free advice, information and support sessions

Specialist advice and information from experienced and trained professionals

Help for clients to produce written plans and provide them with direction, task priorities and appointment details

Help for communities to keep updated with policy changes and entitlement.

The free sessions are at Fartown Village Hall, from 3.30pm to 6.30pm until October 17; and at the Chestnut Centre, from October 24 to November 12 at the same times.