May 2008

The Price of No Advice

Age Concern Kingston upon Thames is joining with a national Age Concern campaign, The price of no advice, calling on the government to draw up a coherent strategy across government departments to ensure older people have access to independent holistic advice wherever they live.

Funding cuts are leaving thousands of older people across the country without access to basic support.  Age Concern Kingston’s independent and trusted Advice and Advocacy service, which last year helped to put thousands of pounds into the pockets of older people across the borough, is in danger of disappearing unless further funding is found.

A new report, Transforming lives, highlights the vital role that independent information and advice services play in tackling poverty and exclusion, promoting dignity and providing support for older people.

New research for the report found that Age Concern’s information and advice services provide a lifeline for those who use them. Claiming the money they’re entitled has given the vast majority more money for essentials such as food, fuel and clothes, and means they can continue to live independently with a better quality of life. Most people also reported a greater sense of wellbeing and reduced levels of anxiety, thanks to reduced money worries and a feeling that they have someone on their side to help - their Age Concern adviser.

Take the case of Mr H: 

Mr H (82) rang our First Contact advice line to find out about Attendance Allowance, a disability benefit for people over 65.  After discussing the criteria for the award over the phone, an advisor arranged a home visit to help Mr H apply.  At the visit, the advisor recognised that Mr H would benefit from aids and equipment to help him mobilise around his home, and offered to refer Mr H for an assessment from Community Care Services.  Mr H’s son died two weeks before he contacted us and his son had driven Mr H to appointments; the advisor was able to discuss alternative transport arrangements with Mr H and assisted his application for a Taxicard, a subsidised way to use taxis across London.  The outcome for Mr H was an award for Attendance Allowance at the higher rate, a Taxicard and aids and equipment to make life easier at home.  The advisor also provided information about social opportunities and activity centres within the borough, which Mr H was keen to pursue to avoid becoming isolated. 

Age Concern Kingston Chief Executive, Shane Brennan, said:

“We know that the most effective way of urging older people to claim the extra money they’re entitled to is through the provision of independent information and advice.  Yet, at a time when steep hikes in household bills are causing misery for hundreds of older people in and around Kingston, it beggars belief that billions of pounds in benefits cash is sitting unclaimed and funding for vital information and advice services is being stripped back.”

Age Concern Kingston upon Thames is calling on Kingston Council to ensure that vital local services are provided to meet the needs of older people.

Through its annual benefits take-up campaign last year, Age Concerns across the country collectively helped older people to claim over £100 million in money benefits.  Yet in spite of this achievement, the vast majority of Age Concerns are at risk of losing, or have already lost, funding for these essential services.

Click here for further information about Age Concern Kingston's Advice and Advocacy Service or contact us.

Download the full report: Transforming Lives

here