Benefits Advice Surgeries at Age Concern Dorchester
… an initiative by Dorset Welfare Benefits Partnership
Age Concern Dorchester and Dorset County Council’s Welfare Benefits Team are working together to provide benefits advice and help to older people in West Dorset.
Surgeries will operate on the fourth Thursday in each month, between 9am and 1pm at Age Concern Dorchester, commencing Thursday 25th February, and will be by appointment only.
To make an appointment, please contact Age Concern Dorchester on 01305 269444 or at Rowan Cottage, 4 Prince of Wales Road, Dorchester DT1 1PW, www.acdorchester.org
Future dates:
25th March, 22nd April, 27th May,
24th June, 22nd July, 26th August.
Please note that Age Concern Dorchester also holds regular drop-in benefits surgeries on the first Monday in each month between 10am and 12pm.
FREE AGE CONCERN Information Guides
Age Concern Dorchester’s Information and Advice team have free information guides, which are regularly revised and which give clear, practical answers to the common questions and issues faced by older people, their families and those who care for them.
Each guide is designed to help make sense of common life stage issues. The guides cover a wide range of situations from choosing the right care home or retirement housing to how to cope with unexpected events, like bereavement. They also provide essential information to help older people plan for the future and understand their rights to employment and legal services.
New guides include:
Your tax health check (IG29) - This guide covers Income Tax but there are also sections on Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
How to claim benefits (IG30) – This leaflet explains some of the main sources of financial help that may be available. It tells you how to apply for these benefits and answers some common questions about them.
Be money smart (IG32) – This guide will help you when choosing financial products and services, such as bank accounts and insurance.
What can you claim? (IG33) – This guide looks at some of the benefits you can claim, how to claim them and who to contact for further information.
Save more, pay less (IG34) – This guide explains how you can reduce the amount of energy wasted in your home. You may be already taking some of the actions listed, others may be new to you.
*** Age Concern Dorchester and E.ON are working together to deliver eNergyAware, an energy efficiency project, helping you to reduce waste, increase warmth and save money. FREE loft and cavity insulation is available to those on qualifying benefits or are aged 70 and over. For those who don’t qualify, costs are approx. £150 for wall, and £180 for loft insulation. For further information, contact Information and Advice on 01305 269444.
www.acdorchester.org
AGE CONCERN Dorchester needs YOU... again!
Due to the success of its recent benefits campaign and its imminent merger with Age Concern Weymouth, Age Concern Dorchester has need of volunteers to join its welfare benefits outreach team to help older people to claim relevant benefits such as Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit, and to undertake benefit checks.
Age Concern Dorchester undertakes home visits throughout rural West Dorset and has a particular need for more volunteers in the Weymouth area. Training will be given.
If you:
Would like to help older people to claim benefits
Have some spare time to give
Enjoy volunteering
Please contact Peter Lindsley on 01305 269444, www.acdorchester.org, Rowan Cottage, 4 Prince of Wales Road, Dorchester DT1 1PW.
SAVE MONEY AND THE ENVIRONMENT WITH AGE CONCERN DORCHESTER AND E.ON
Older people in West Dorset can once again get free energy saving tips and help around the house thanks to Age Concern Dorchester and energy company E.ON.
The Age Concern Dorchester Energyright programme, eNergyAware, supported by E.ON, advises people on how they might reduce their energy bills. It also provides energy efficiency advice, help with Winter Fuel Allowance payments and information about the Government’s Warm Front grants.
EnergyRight is a project that has been developed by Age Concern and E.ON to raise awareness of energy efficiency amongst older people, supporting them in adopting energy efficient practices and measures to help them to keep warm and save money.
Peter Lindsley, Information and Advice Manager of Age Concern Dorchester, said: ““If you would like some advice on energy efficiency or are worried about heating your home this winter, get in touch with the EnergyRight scheme at Age Concern Dorchester.”
Suzanne Doxey, Community Relations Manager at E.ON, said: “By working with Age Concern to offer this service, we’re eager to share our energy expertise and to provide support where it’s needed most. Summer is a great time to prepare for the colder months ahead and there are lots of simple things we can tell you about which will help make a big difference to your bills and the environment too.”
For further information, contact: Age Concern Dorchester, Rowan Cottage, 4 Prince of Wales Road, Dorchester DT1 1PW, Tel: 01305 269444, www.acdorchester.org
LEAFLETS
