A pensioner has shared a little known service which helped her claim nearly £70 per week.
The 75-year-old discovered she was eligible for an extra £68.10 per week in benefits after a quick check.
The benefits check revealed she qualified for Attendance Allowance, with no effect on her existing pension
Penny, who relies on crutches due to broken hips and Osteoporosis, initially received a letter from the Rothesay Foundation about their partnership with Age UK.
Despite being hesitant and concerned about impacts to her pension, she contacted Age UK’s Advice Line for an appointment.
The charity helped her claim Attendance Allowance, with no effect on her existing pension, as well as an increase in Pension Credit.
Penny said: “I thought I should have been claiming this years ago! Age UK arranged for me to be sent all the information, which was very helpful. I was so concerned with heating costs last winter, now, I think I’ll be okay.
“I am so pleased with the service; it helped me so much. Without Age UK’s help, I would never have been able to claim Attendance Allowance, or even known I was entitled to it.”
The Rothesay Foundation has announced a £2.47million donation to expand Age UK’s benefits check service following a successful pilot programme.
The pilot, which helped over 4,500 pensioners, revealed that 76 per cent of older people were not claiming benefits they were eligible for.
The pilot programme identified an average of £6,600 in unclaimed benefits per person, totalling £23m for those in need.
Among the benefits identified in the pilot, Attendance Allowance was the most common, with 66 per cent of eligible participants missing out on up to £5,930 per year.
The research found that Pension Credit was unclaimed by 37 per cent of those identified, worth up to £4,910 annually and Housing Benefit was missed by 17 per cent of eligible participants, averaging £6,319 per year.
Over a third of participants were also found eligible for backdated benefits from their application date.
The initiative will complement the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Drive, which aims to help an estimated 700,000 eligible households claim their entitlements.
James Dickson, Chairman of the Rothesay Foundation, said: “Too many older people are living in need in the UK despite being eligible and entitled to greater financial support.”
Research from the pilot found that 18 per cent of participants didn’t know how to claim their eligible benefits, while 15 per cent weren’t even aware the benefits existed.
The expanded service aims to support over 11,000 older people through the partnership over the next two years.
Paul Farmer, CEO at Age UK, said: “At Age UK, we are committed to ensuring that every older person can afford to heat their home and enjoy a hot meal at least once a day.”
The initiative will support 11 local Age UKs to deliver benefits checks in local communities, with dedicated staff helping older people through the application process.
