Age Concern Dorchester - Home Page Article

CLAIM CASH TO HELP IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE

Older people with health or mobility problems could be missing out on £3,600 each year to help to improve the quality of their life. Here we have more details and a success story . . .

Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) can help transform people’s day to day lives, but the charity is concerned that many older people aren’t claiming this cash simply because they are unaware of the benefit or don’t think they would be eligible.

AA is available to people aged 65 or over with a health problem or disability which has a major impact on the way they live, irrespective of their income or savings. We know a lot of older people use AA to buy items that help them to maintain their independence such as taxis, cleaning, gardening and care services. It’s really important to claim this extra money because for many, it means they can stay in their own home with support.

DLA is available for people under 65 who need help with personal care or have mobility problems. Once you have reached your 65th birthday you can no longer make a new claim for this benefit, so it’s important to fill out the forms before it is too late.

As part of its year-long ‘More Money in Your Pocket’ benefits campaign, Age Concern Dorchester is urging anyone over 60 in Dorset to get in touch for a free, confidential and independent benefits check. The charity can tell you what benefits you are likely to be entitled to and we can even fill in the claim form on your behalf. Each year up to £5.1 billion in pension benefits is left unclaimed and many older people in Dorset could be missing out on their rightful share.

Age Concern recently helped Mrs and Mrs Watkins to fill out the forms to claim AA. Mr Watkins suffers from a very bad back and arthritis and Mrs Watkins needs a replacement hip.

Mr and Mrs Watkins said: “Getting the extra money means we can get more bits done in the house to help us stay on top of things. Our garden was getting overgrown as my husband who had been a keen gardener wasn’t able to cut it. We’ve been able to hire a gardener to come once a month and someone to keep the house clean – a job that it was hard for us to stay on top of before. We manage – that’s us, that’s what we’re like. But we really have appreciated the extra support.”

For further information, please contact Age Concern Dorchester, Rowan Cottage, 4 Prince of Wales Road, Dorchester DT1 1PW, 01305 269444.