Protecting Pensioners Project

We are  delighted to let you know that Age UK Coventry has been successful in bidding for money from the Coventry Police, Crime and Community safety board for a project called Protecting Pensioners.

The project will address the safety needs of Coventry’s most vulnerable, isolated older people both in their own home and whilst out shopping in Coventry, through increased security measures. The Protect Pensioners project will provide older people with door stickers, telephone stickers, and purse bells.

In 2015 the West Midlands police crime figures recorded that 324 residents - mainly older, vulnerable people - had been duped at home by distraction burglars posing as officials, workmen and even police officers. 

Working closely with Trading Standards we are fully aware of the many types of doorstep scams. In partnership with Coventry Trading Standards we set up our Trusted Traders scheme, whereby tradespeople are rigorously checked out and interviewed, so residents in Coventry can have an easy, safe and reliable way of avoiding rogue traders.

Another key issue for older people has been unsolicited calls at home. There has been an in-crease in the number of people been conned into giving out their bank or card details over the phone by callers supposedly from HMRC, CAB and even their own banks!

But not only is the impact financial. The damage it does to an older person’s confidence is enormous: the fear and worry continues for many months after the actual incident. These older people will be among the most lonely and vulnerable in the City and not likely to have family that they can turn to about these issues.

Age UK Coventry will visit our clients at home to take stickers and bells with them and to raise awareness of door step distraction burglaries, the threat of rogue traders, and the need not to disclose financial information to anyone even if they say they are the police or taxman.

If you would like the Communications Officer to come out and talk to your older persons' group about the Project, please call Jayne Moore on 024 7693 9479.

Or drop in to Age UK Coventry 7 Warwick Row if you would like to pick up your free purse bell.