THOUSANDS of pensioners in Bury are missing out on vital financial help according to a charity for older people.

Age UK Bury say they are "on a mission" to make people aware of the Attendance Allowance which is a benefit for people over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of illness or disability.

Louise Price, information and advice manager at Age UK Bury, said: "Your eligibility is assessed purely on your disability or health condition and your care needs. It is not means-tested so it doesn’t matter what you earn or how much you have in savings.

"You don’t have to spend Attendance Allowance on a carer. In fact, many people spend it on other types of help in the home such as CareLink, equipment such as grab rails or mobility aids, or on services including using taxis to get around - anything that helps you stay independent, living at home, and out of hospital.

"Claiming Attendance Allowance won’t reduce any other income you receive, it is tax-free and if you’re awarded Attendance Allowance, you may become entitled to other benefits, such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, or an increase in these benefits if you’re already receiving them."

Andy Hazeldine, chief officer, Age UK Bury, added: "From our research, we know that there are thousands of older people in Bury who are not receiving this benefit. The application form is long and difficult to fill in, but that’s where our free Information and Advice service can help. In the last five years, we have helped 1,379 people claim £6,376,992.78.”

For more information about Attendance Allowance and other support available, please email info@ageukbury.org.uk or call Louise on 07872 067662 (Mon to Thurs) or Ruth on 07547 400142 (Tues to Friday). Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Louise and Ruth are working by telephone and video conferencing until it is safe to return to the office.

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