Nautilus caseworkers generate a record £1.32m in benefits owed for mariners

Nautilus caseworkers have continued to ensure mariners are getting the benefits and grants they are entitled to – helping generate a record £1.32m for 535 mariners in 2021.

This is a 32% increase in benefit clawbacks in 2020 when the free and confidential caseworker service helped secure a then-record of over £1m and assisted 400 retired seafarers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nautilus International has its own registered charity, the Nautilus Welfare Fund, which supports retired seafarers of all backgrounds in the UK. Its caseworker’s service, in particular, has expanded enormously in the last 10 years – from one caseworker in Merseyside who piloted outreach support for mariners and helped them access other services that could promote their independence – to six caseworkers based around port areas of the UK.

The service is available to needy mariners and their dependants, including former Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) and veteran mariners.

Caseworkers are currently posted in Glasgow, Tyne and Wear, Portsmouth, Cardiff, and South Wales, and a further expansion is planned for a new caseworker to be appointed shortly in Aberdeen.

In 2021 the main areas of help covered enabling mariners to claim welfare benefits they were entitled to including Attendance Allowance, Pension Credit, Carers Allowance, and Council Tax rebates. Personal Independence Payments and Universal Credit.

The caseworkers also enabled mariners to secure over £100,000 in grants for essential household items and repairs. The service also helps mariners access services such as rehousing, home adaptations, and health and social care provision.

Nautilus Welfare Fund manager Mick Howarth said: ‘Caseworkers have made a huge difference to the numbers of mariners that we can now support as part of the charity’s services, and in support of the Union’s strategic plan. The 2021 figures reflected an increase in both the numbers assisted and the funding secured ‘