Suzanne Sutcliffe

Suzanne is a Social Welfare Advisor within our Welfare Benefits team, working closely with head of department, Peter Renshaw.

Education & career

Suzanne studied Law at the University of Huddersfield, graduating with a First Class LLB Hons. She went on to complete her LPC and Masters receiving a commendation from the University of Law in Manchester. Suzanne comments:

"I am passionate about access to justice and social security entitlement and have worked in legal roles for 22 years. Prior to joining Potter Rees Dolan, my most recent roles were at Citizens Advice and Macmillan again delivering high quality welfare benefits advice to a wide ranging client base."

Suzanne joined the Welfare Benefits team here at Potter Rees Dolan in 2019. As Social Welfare Advisor, Suzanne's role is to carry out a full holistic assessment of entitlement to welfare benefits to maximise household income. This can involve calculations around eligibility to means and non means tested benefits and support around the application process. Advice might also include challenging decisions in relation to benefit entitlement which we believe to be inaccurate based on financial assessments or disability / ill health. She says of her role here at PRD:

"I really enjoy working collaboratively with my wonderful colleagues across each of the PRD Teams. My favourite part of the role is contact with our clients and working to achieve best outcomes for them."

Professional memberships, accreditations & charity work

Suzanne is member of Board of Trustees at POINT; a former voluntary advisor for Citizens Advice, Uni of Huddersfield Legal Clinic, Pathways to Integration (Immigration Project), and a Befriender for Age UK

Outside of work...

Outside of the office, Suzanne is a Reiki practitioner, enjoys meditation, long dog walks and taking care of the zoo at home (little people and a menagerie of animals)!

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Latest Testimonials

Thank you. Excellent help and I got an outcome I didn't expect, so a big thank you to Peter Renshaw.

Lisa Hathaway
TRUSTWORTHY FIRM I found Potter Rees Dolan through google search, and while I didn’t have much hope, it all turned out to believe there are still good people who help others. Peter Renshaw assisted me with my appeal. If he wasn’t there I probably never came this far and just lived my difficult life. However with all his professionalism and caring manner he encouraged me to appeal the decision, patiently explained the procedure and advised me all through the way. The appeal was allowed by the judge and this could not happened if Peter Renshaw did not support me with my case. I highly recommend PRD and specifically Peter Renshaw and his team.

Sahar via Yell
Firstly, I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to you and your team for the support you have given me over the past years to achieve this unexpected outcome. It has been such an emotionally draining process that, were it not for that support, I may have abandoned it... Once again, many thanks to all at Potter Rees Dolan. I couldn't have been in safer hands.

GM, Manchester
I am completely blown away after the success your input has done for me. Now, instead of life not being worth living, I can take time to make a life with a difference. I will forever be grateful to you! I am very grateful to your firm and especially Mr. Renshaw for his simple instructions, patience and understanding. Having him as an advocate was everything and more than I could have ask for. Many thanks for what you do.

Wendy Williams, Shropshire
One aspect which I value highly is that a promise to call will always be honoured. This may seem a small point but it is absolutely critical to peace of mind for the client. Communications, written and verbal, are always timeous, appropriate and well explained. As I develop below, each one of the team is invariably compassionate, understanding and empathic.This is of great importance to clinical negligence clients, who may well be facing life changing events, and not for the better. The Practice has a substantial and impressive array of medico legal contacts whose expertise they can call upon. We have been impressed with their thorough work and pleased with their achievements so far in dealing with our claim.

Jean Whittaker, Walkden