Cost of Living Crisis 2022

2.8m older households will still be living in fuel poverty this winter despite the government freezing the energy price cap - 1.3 million of whom are also living on lower incomes.

A typical household will pay an average of £2500 per year for their energy use and, with prices of other goods and services rising, there’s no doubt that many older households, especially the poorest, will find life very tough.

Without further Government support, targeted at those of all ages who need it the most, significant numbers of people will be forced to make difficult decisions about whether to cut down on essentials such as food, or keep their home warm through colder periods. It’s no surprise that polling for Age UK has shown that 88% of people aged 60+ in Britain think the Government should keep the ‘triple lock’ – which is due to be reinstated from April 2023, but not yet confirmed by Government. If this happens it will give older people who depend on their State Pension to make ends meet a reason for hope through 2023.

We understand that help and advice needs to be tailored to meet everyone's individual needs during this time. We have an Information and Advice service that can offer you FREE help & guidance - here is what we can help with.

Checking you receive financial Support you are entitled to

Ensuring you are receiving everything you are entitled to is very important, many people aren’t aware of the money they should be receiving. Our Team will be able to discuss with you the different options available and guide you through any necessary application processes. We can provide support in whatever form suits you best: we can chat to you over the phone, send you information in the post or meet you in person.  

• Benefit Checks 
  These checks explore whether there are any benefits you could be claiming currently. Our Help Team can take you through this process and talk through the outcome. Dealing with benefits and claims can be confusing, we will ensure you know the next steps if there are unclaimed benefits you could be accessing.
  
  
• Attendance Allowance 
  If you’re over State Pension age (currently 66 years old for men and women) and you need help with your personal care because of a physical or mental illness or disability, you may be able to claim Attendance Allowance. There is an application process with must be worked through for this. Our Help Team volunteers will be able to go through the whole application with you, aiming to show your situation as clearly as possible.