Our registered office is located in Tottington, Bury, Lancashire. Visitors are welcome by prior appointment, Monday to Friday. In addition, we hold monthly drop-in and outreach advice sessions at various locations across the North West, which are open to the public.
Our CIC registration details are provided below. Legally registered as Advocacy for Disabled People CIC, we trade as Fightback4Justice. We operate as a non-profit Community Interest Company with asset-locked status. This means that, even in the unlikely event of closure, all assets — such as computers and equipment — must be transferred to a similar organisation, as no individual can personally benefit from Fightback. We are fully insured, holding both Professional Indemnity and Public Liability cover, and our staff and volunteers are appropriately insured. We also maintain up-to-date Data Protection registration and training.
Donations that we receive are reinvested directly into running Fightback and expanding our reach and services. This includes contributions from our form completion service, which are vital to our sustainability. We currently employ five full-time staff, three part-time staff, and six volunteers who operate our four advice lines on a part-time basis, as well as our VIP lines and live chat service full-time. Additional funding will enable us to extend our opening hours, train more advice line volunteers, and meet growing demand. The same applies to our VIP service, which provides priority access and hundreds of valuable resources designed to guide people through the application and appeal process, ensuring they receive both expert support and the tools to advocate for themselves.
We are a name you can trust and have been runners up in numerous awards, in 2014 we were runners up for the Disability Group at the prestigious Diversity Awards, in 2013 we won People’s Champion awards, in 2014 we were awarded a grant from the Nationwide for Community Group of the quarter and again we were nominated in 2015. We were also invited and gave oral evidence to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) about systematic violations by our Government to disabled people.
Experience is our greatest trainer and we have assisted with thousands of successful PIP/ESA claims, Appeals and Advocated in Court, supporting in 900 plus assessments since inception in 2013. We also offer face to face assistance in completing Disability Benefits Forms, Appeals Advocacy, Over payments, and allegations of Benefit Fraud.
As the founder, I hold an LLB with Honours in Law from the University of Bolton (2012) and a Certificate of Legal Education from Manchester Metropolitan University, alongside AS Law. Over the years, I have completed two law degrees. In 2013, I qualified and was certified as a voluntary Gateway Adviser with Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), where I worked full-time as a Law and Outreach Benefits Adviser from 2012 to 2013. During this time, I attended numerous specialist training courses, including the DWP’s own PIP training and the latest Care Act course delivered by Irwin Mitchell Solicitors.
In 2014, I worked for a local solicitor’s firm managing the Welfare Benefits Department and training new staff. Since then, as many of you know, I have continued to gain extensive experience through founding and running Fightback, alongside my eldest daughter, Chloe, who serves as our full-time Office Manager and form-filling specialist. Our team includes dedicated friends and colleagues—two qualified lawyers, a final-year law student, and two NHS healthcare professionals: a children’s nurse with 30 years’ experience and an occupational therapist. Each team member has been personally trained to the highest standards, with ongoing professional development to stay updated on changes in legislation, assessment trends, and sector news.
We regularly attend meetings with ATOS and the quarterly PIP Forum in London, where assessors, the DWP, and other organisations collaborate to discuss improvements and updates. Our internal and external training programmes are continuous, and all caseworkers and phone advisers are qualified in Data Protection, Safeguarding, and Benefits Advice to City & Guilds standards. We stay current with the latest DWP and ATOS tribunal developments—often firsthand through our direct involvement with officials across various regions.
We also work closely with local MPs and charities to provide free advice sessions within the community. I have been invited as a guest speaker at nine events for various groups across the North West, attending voluntarily with only travel expenses covered. Additionally, we participate in CPAG training courses and deliver our own sessions, training NAS and housing association staff, local authority teams, and providing ongoing advice and support to local MP offices.
