Help for 73 year old who had never claimed State Pension
AN ADVICE service offering help to residents across several communities assisted more than 700 people in the space of 12 months – including someone who had failed to ever claim State Pension.
It was set up by the South Area Council, a local wing of Barnsley Council, to offer support on benefit claims and other issues, with drop-in sessions held at libraries in Hoyland and Wombwell and Darfield community centre.
Over 12 months 721 clients were given help - but with 2121 contacts from clients, it means each of those sought, on average, assistance almost three times.
And around 40 per cent of those who needed assistance - 303 - were deemed to be vulnerable.
The area council, which has a budget to spend on services important to local communities, uses Citizens Advice for the work, with four drop-in sessions every week, in addition to telephone appointments.
Over the 12 months, additional welfare benefits of almost £475,000 have been claimed by those who sought help, with others have had assistance in managing debts.
The scale of help needed by some people is highlighted by the fact that although individuals assisted was 721, they asked for help with 4,604 different things, mostly relating to benefits and universal credit.
Other issues included work, housing, debt and relationships.
The service has been operational since 2017 and is now credited with helping people in the area claim £8.9m in benefits they might otherwise have missed.
Recent cases have included helping a 73 year old former miner to claim his State Pension, which he had never accessed.
Instead, he had been living solely on his mineworker’s pension and housing benefit, which allowed him to rent a room.
His financial situation came to a head when the housing benefit was stopped because he had failed to complete a review, however.
He was assisted to claim the State Pension and had Housing Benefit re-instated and backdated, giving him more than £800 a month in additional income.
Those being switched to Universal Credit are also offered assistance, but the rules around making claims have been changed recently, meaning the Department of Works and Pensions need direct contact with the client.
Advice is still offered and, in some cases, direct help in dealing with the DWP can be given via Citizens Advice nationally.