A day in the life of the Age UK Advice Line

The Age UK Advice Line is open to take calls 8am - 7pm, every day of the year, and provides information on topics from finances and benefits to housing and care. Here's a summary of the diverse range of calls we receive during a typical day.

8am: Amanda’s first call is from a man who says that he needs help to pay his heating bills. He tells Amanda he is disabled and has to have his heating on constantly when the weather is colder. Amanda arranges to send some useful information guides and also provides the details of a local Age UK who can arrange an in-person benefit entitlement check. 

9.15am: Lucy receives an enquiry via webchat from a woman wanting advice about disability aids and equipment. Lucy provides the contact details of a local organisation who can offer the advice and support she needs.

9.55am: Ahmed speaks with a lady who has poor mobility and long-term health conditions and needs help around the home and garden. Together they complete an application for the disability benefit, Attendance Allowance, to increase her income and allow her to pay for the support she needs.

10.30am: Anne speaks with a man whose father is about to be discharged from hospital after a long stay, due to falling at home and breaking his hip. He is concerned about how his father will cope at home alone, once he is discharged. Anne advises that he speaks with both his father and the Hospital Discharge team, to establish his father’s support needs and the short-term support they can offer him. Anne also recommends contacting his father’s local Adult Social Care team to discuss longer term plans, including possible aids and adaptations.

11.15am: Rebecca’s next caller is worried about her mother who doesn’t want to move into residential care but is becoming increasingly frail and falling at home. Rebecca arranges to send a useful information guide about getting help at home, suggests some local services that could help and provides the number of our specialist advice team, so she can get further guidance about her mother’s options.

12.55pm: Ruth takes a call from a woman who’s looking for support with her health problems. She explains that we don’t provide medical advice and suggests the caller contacts her GP. Ruth also provides the Helpline number of a specialist health organisation who might be able to assist. The caller also mentions feeling of loneliness, so Ruth refers her to the Age UK Telephone Friendship Service to be matched with a volunteer friend.

2.02pm: Ronald’s caller is extremely distressed. She’s worried about the quality of the care her father is receiving in his care home. Her father is reaching the end of his life, and he wants to go home. Ronald transfers her to our specialist advisor team for guidance and support. He also emails her some relevant information guides.

2.30pm: Mathew speaks with a woman who has had a recent diagnosis of dementia and is concerned about how she will manage her finances and personal affairs in the future. Mathew provides advice on setting up Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), the different kinds of LPAs available and which would be most appropriate. They discuss who she might appoint as her LPA and consider the options. Mathew also arranges to send her further information to support her decision making.

3.14pm: Aisha receives an email from a woman who explains that she and her husband have no family or friends and are worried who will sort things out, should anything happen to them. She requests an Age UK Lifebook, and Aisha arranges to send one in the post.

4.02pm: Sam completes a Benefit Entitlement check with a recently widowed man and identifies that he could claim Pension Credit to boost his income. Sam advises that receiving Pension Credit also opens up an entitlement to claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax support.

4.56pm: Paula’s next call is from a man asking if he and his wife might be able to claim any benefits to help them pay their bills. Paula books him a telephone appointment with our specialist benefits team and arranges to send some helpful information guides.

5.24pm: Gita takes a call from a man who is confused about how his mother’s residential care will be paid for now her savings have depleted. Gita arranges to send a useful information guide and advises him to contact his mother’s local Adult Social Care team, to discuss the situation. She also provides the number of our specialist advice team in case any further support is needed.

6.42pm: David’s next call is from a woman who needs help to cut her grass in readiness for winter. Her husband has passed away, and he used to do all of the gardening. David provides her with the number of her local Age UK office, so they can support her to access an appropriate local service. The caller mentioned she gets lonely at night, so David also gives her the number for our Silver Line Helpline, who are open 24 hours a day.