PEOPLE living in the Redcar area are falling prey to unscrupulous offers of benefit advice.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's community legal service partnership has discovered that some individuals and agencies are offering an advice service to people making benefit claims.

Hundreds of pounds are being charged for help with filling in claims forms, and council workers fear many people do not realise they can get the advice for free.

Welfare rights officer Val Hudson said: "The fact that a claimant is paying for services which already freely exist is disheartening.

"Individuals who need help with complicated forms or preparing appeals against benefits refusal can contact the council's welfare rights service or the Citizens Advice Bureau. Alternatively, many solicitors offer free advice through the legal aid scheme.

"What disturbs all the agencies involved in collating this evidence is that some individual providers of this type of service are lacking in the expertise and training necessary to carry out this work."

Anyone who wants information about free advice can call 0845 608 1122 or visit the www.justask.org.uk website.