Local people benefit by over £15,000 from advice
Advice given to local people attending the ‘Maximise your Benefits’ event last Friday showed they could be missing out over £15,000 each year, because they did not know they we entitled to additional financial support such as Child and Working Families Tax Credits, Pension Credit, Council Tax relief and Carers Allowance.
Trained benefit entitlement advisors provided free confidential support and advice to local people who attended the event at Wath Montgomery Hall, and found that on average people were entitled to claim an extra £35 a week. The event was organised by the Eaga Partnership who have helped over 260 local people during the last year to have central heating and energy efficiency improvements through the Warm Front scheme. They found a number of people were eligible to apply for a Warm Front grant to help cover the costs of insulating and heating their home. |  |
Local MP John Healey hosted the event to make sure people were not missing out on important money or the chance to receive improvements to their central heating systems in the run up to winter. He said: "Many people are unsure if they are entitled to financial support such as pension credits, and an event like this offers people the chance to ask questions which they may have had for sometime.”
“I was pleased to see so many people come along and find the event worthwhile.”John Healey MP attended the event with Wath Councillors Alan Gosling, Alex Sangster and representatives from local organisations: Age Concern, Citizens Advice Bureau, Dearne Valley College, Dearne Valley Pension Centre, The Pension Service, Job Centre Plus, RBT, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, 2010 Rotherham, Rotherham Credit Union, Rotherham PCT, Rotherham Pensioners Action Group and Wath Community Partnership.
Mr Healey went on to say: “I would like to thank all the local organisations who came along to offer their support.”Over 100 people attended the ‘Maximise your Benefits’ event last Friday, many of them received confidential support, advice and information to help improve their present circumstances. The event was of particular interest to pensioners, many of whom did not realise they were entitled to extra support.
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Notes to Editors:
1. For more information please contact Joanne Wilson, Researcher to John Healey MP, on 01709 512463, Email: wilsonjo@parliament.uk or Anne Toms, Eaga Partnership, Tel: 0191 247 3840, Email: anne.toms@eaga.co.uk
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