Our Impact
In the period of April 2020 to March 2021, Age UK Sandwell achieved the following:
Took 5,584 telephone enquirries from the older people of Sandwell with most staff working from home due to the pandemic.
34% of all call were welfare benefits related
Provided friendship with over 1500 calls in total to older lonley and isolated people.
Over the year we helped the older people of Sandwell gain an extra £195,675 of benefits they were entitled to that they either struggled to apply for or didn't know about, giving them the ability to live better.
Case Studies
Mr D is an 73 year old gentleman who lives alone and has mobility problems due to chronic arthritis and COPD.
He contacted us to find out what assistance would be available. We assisted Mr D to apply for Attendance Allowance and successfully secured additional income of £3,104 per year form him. Mr D was delighted, stating that this would enable him to take taxis to his shopping and for medical appointments. We also referred Mr for an aids and adaptations assessment as he would benefit from grab rails around the house, which would reduce the risk of falls.
Mrs F is a 79 year old lady who lives alone. Her fridge had stopped working and she could not afford to replace it.
The adviser assisted her with an application to Friends of the Elderly and secured a replacement to be delivered and installed, with the old one being removed. Mrs F stated: “I didn’t know where to turn, thankfully I had heard of Age UK [Sandwell] and called on the off chance. You helped me solve such a big worry. Thank you”.
PA contacted us for assistance with claiming his State Pension, as he had struggled to complete the process by himself.
He stated his benefits had been stopped and he was getting worried about paying his bills. Our adviser was able to assist PA by telephone, making an online state pension application. Following which, we were able to review his overall benefits and ensure that other agencies such as Housing/Council Tax Benefit were notified and his benefits re-assessed. PA said: “It’s such a relief you helped me get it sorted, I feel better knowing that everything is correct”
PH contacted us for assistance in completing an Attendance Allowance form he had received.
He found the form very daunting and did not feel confident to do it himself. Our adviser assisted PH to complete the form over 3 telephone calls. PH was delighted to inform us he had been awarded the lower rate of Attendance Allowance, making him £3,100 better offer per year “he [the adviser] was great and so helpful, talking me through each question to make sure I was answering it properly. I would never have got this money without him”.
Further Quotes:
“The service has been brilliant I can’t fault it, you’ve been so helpful”.
"He [the adviser] was great and so helpful, talking me through each question of the Attendance Allowance form to make sure I was answering it properly. I would never have got this money without him”.
Help us help!
We can only help the older community of Sandwell with funding from Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, limited other funders and donations from the general public. You can help and we make every penny count!