Age needs one voice. Now it has:
Age NI is the new force combining Age Concern Northern Ireland and
Help the Aged in Northern Ireland. Age NI is a member of the Age UK family.
The new force combining &
Joyce* lived alone and was struggling to heat her home and she could not afford her rent. She also suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and angina.
'I had no oil and no heat for well over a month and I had been spending all day in bed to try and keep warm. I was living in private rented accommodation because six months previously my landlord had put my home on the market and I was given four weeks to leave. I didn’t know that I could have applied to the Housing Executive as homeless at that time and so, in a panic, I found accommodation at a price I couldn’t afford.
'I contacted Age NI and received so much help and support from their Advice and Advocacy service. Firstly they contacted a local charity who arranged for emergency heating oil to be delivered to my home. The advisor then worked tirelessly on my behalf with the Housing Executive and I was finally accepted as homeless and in priority need. I was allocated a pensioner bungalow and Age NI helped me apply for a Community Care Grant. I was awarded a grant to help me buy essential items of furniture, bedding and kitchen utensils. A few months later, I rang the advisor back to say thank you and to let them know that I had settled in well to my new home.
'If it had not been for the help and support I received I don’t know what would have happened. Age NI made a real difference to my life. Their support I received came at just the right time.'
If you or someone you know needs a benefits check, contact the Advice Service on Freephone 0808 808 7575 today.
To help Age NI support people like Joyce, make a donation to the Spread the Warmth today.
* Joyce's story is representative of some of the older people we helped last winter.
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