The owner of a social enterprise offering support to disabled people has expressed her delight after being shortlisted for a national award.

Personal Independent Payment Professionals (PIPP), founded by Prestwich lawyer Cat Gillet, has been nominated in the National Diversity Awards in recognition of her work helping disabled people navigate the benefits system.

It has been nominated as part of the Community Organisation for Disability category, which recognises organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to their community, or nationwide.

PIPP was first set up by Cat, 41, in 2018 after she completed training to become a lawyer, she says the organisation was born from her desire to help those around her.

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She said: “I completed my lawyer students and became disabled, and it made me realise that there is very little support for people out there.

“I wanted to use my skills to help people.”

Cat added: “I was disabled throughout my degree, when I finished my degree I thought I wanted to go into family law, and that was from my need to help people.

“I always wanted to have that client closeness.”

Before changing careers, Cat worked for a national imports company before becoming a student again in her late 20s.

She now employs 13 people, a mix of other legal professions, who also have lived experience of disability.

The Rochdale- based organisation received around 500 requests for help every day, many of which are questions about PIP applications and assessments.

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Cat added: “Most of our team have their own disabilities, we don’t just understand the law, we understand the practicalities.”

The enterprise has been nominated for the awards once before in 2019, but narrowly missed out.

This year it has already received several hundred nominations from clients the team has helped.

Cat said: “I’d be extremely humbled [to win], I hope it opens up the doors for people to find us.”

The National Diversity Awards will be presented in September, click here to visit the nomination page.