Support for older people to access financial aid

Aim

ACH Volunteers support vulnerable older people to access support and aid through vital form filling and information services.

The Urgent Need - 

15% PER CENT OF PEOPLE AGED 65 AND OVER SAY THEY WILL NOT USE THEIR HEATING AT ALL IN THE COMING MONTHS IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY, A YOUGOV POLL OF 3,415 ADULTS CARRIED OUT ON BEHALF OF INDEPENDENT AGE FOUND.

Our solution - 

Age Concern Hampshire is urgently looking for support to continue to deliver our vital community-based ‘Form Filling Service’ for older people in Hampshire. The project aims to facilitate financial, money management and other support for those who cannot – or find it hard to – access or navigate existing services, either online or offline. The service will also be extended to family, friends and carers who need help with supporting an older person.

The project aims to:

• Assist the vulnerable, the elderly and people who are either unable to read and write or access the internet to complete official forms
• Provide support by a trained volunteer to apply for benefits, such as Attendance Allowance, concessions and other support they may not be claiming or aware of
• Signpost to other financial and money management support available

The project strives to:

• Support unpaid carers to make them feel more supported in accessing additional finances
• Identify financial support, concessions and other support for those who cannot access existing services
• Reduce individual’s risk of becoming socially isolated and lonely as a result of financial constraints
• Access vital financial support, concessions and services to enable older people to stay living safely and independently at home for longer
• Supporting people with physical or learning disabilities in accessing finances 
• Provide help to complete forms promptly to reduce stress and may help service users get money quicker.

The service will allow individuals to be more financially independent and less socially-isolated as a result of financial constraints. This solution responds to the challenges of ‘digital exclusion’ among older people, although we understand some non-internet users are driven by material or psychological barriers and where it is an informed and reasonable choice. Therefore, we provide facilitative - but non-invasive - approach for older people, to empower them to retain the right to be non-internet users, but still access vital support online. The Form-Filling Service volunteers provide support to access forms and other online resources using ACH expertise, resources and services.

This project successfully funded on 14th February 2023