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Windsor MP Backs
Benefits Campaign for Local Older People
10-May-07, Press Release.
Adam Afriyie,
MP for Windsor, is backing Age Concern’s new ‘Your Rights’
benefits campaign. He is hosting a seminar on the issue of
benefits for older people at the House of Commons on May 14th.
The aim of the
new, year-long ‘Your Rights’ campaign is to help
more older people than ever before
to claim the benefits they are entitled to, with Age Concern
pledging to put an extra £100 million into the pockets of
older people before April 2008. The campaign will focus on
different benefits every two months, starting
with Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit during April
and May and Carer’s Allowance in June and July.
The seminar at
the House of Commons will inform MP’s researchers about the
range of benefits available to older people, the problems
stopping people claiming and how to help older people in
their constituencies to claim their entitlement. There are
expected to be 70 people from the main political parties
being briefed on this issue.
Adam Afriyie,
MP for Windsor is a strong supporter of Age Concern
Windsor’s work and is keen to encourage local older people
to claim the money which they are entitled to. In
addition to hosting the seminar at the House of Commons
he will also be encouraging and supporting constituents to
apply for appropriate benefits through his constituency
office.
Spiralling household bills are making it hard for many older
people in Windsor and across the country to make ends meet.
Despite
this millions of older people in the UK miss out on up to
£4.2billion of money benefits each year.1
Many older people
are missing
out on benefits cash that’s rightfully theirs, either
because they don’t know that they are entitled, are worried
about the complexity of the process or are embarrassed about
claiming.
Yet Age Concern
Windsor
offers clear, free and confidential help and advice which
can overcome these barriers.
Adam Afriyie,
MP for Windsor,
said:
“I am backing Age Concern’s Your Rights campaign because I
am concerned about financial pressures faced by huge numbers
of older people across the constituency.
“Increases in costs of living mean that many older people’s
finances are being stretched – claiming the money they are
entitled to could really help to relieve some of the
pressure of increasing bills. A little extra money each week
could make all the difference for many older people in
Windsor
and across the country.
“Age Concern’s Your Rights campaign offers a helping hand.
I would urge any older person who is unsure whether they
can claim to contact their local Age Concern for free
advice.”
Catherine McLinden, Manager at Age Concern Windsor,
said:
“Hundreds of older people in Windsor may be missing out on
cash that is rightfully theirs. Claiming the benefits
they’re entitled to can make a massive difference to an
older person’s quality of life.
“Claiming really doesn’t have to be difficult. We run
benefits surgeries throughout the year to provide help and
information to older people across Windsor.
We would urge all older people in
the area to call us to arrange a free and confidential
benefits check, or call our free helpline number on 0800 00
99 66 for more information.”
For free benefits advice local
older people can contact Age
Concern Windsor’s Information and Advice service on
01753 860685 or Age Concern
Slough on 01753 822890.
ENDS
Notes to
Editors:
1.
Source:
Department for Work and Pension’s
Income related benefits estimates of take-up in 2004/2005,
October 2006.
·
For further information
on Age Concern’s Your Rights campaign please contact Emma
Hayes on 020 8765 7515 or
emma.hayes@ace.org.uk or
for information on advice available locally please contact
Catherine McLinden at Age Concern Windsor on 01753 860685. |
