Age UK
Following our Summer Cheer campaign partnering with Iceland and Age UK, the Rothesay Foundation supported Age UK to offer a free and confidential benefits check service for Summer Cheer participants and other older people in need. This vital service helped more than 4,500 participants find out whether they were eligible for welfare benefits and identified on average an extra £6,600 of benefits each year for those who were eligible (76% of those who used the service funded by the Foundation). In total, the programme identified approximately £23 million of annual benefits for older people living in need.
Following this success, the Foundation has provided £2.47 million of additional funding to Age UK to significantly expand its benefits check service. This funding will aim to help over 11,000 older people check whether they are eligible for unclaimed benefits through the free national Age UK Advice Line. It will also expand the benefits check service in 11 communities across England and Wales through local Age UKs and provide dedicated staff to guide older people through the application process, which includes help filling out the forms. Age UK will hire additional staff for its Advice Line to provide the same service over the telephone. The funding will also support Age UK to follow up with callers on the progress and outcome of their claim, ensuring they receive the help they need to successfully navigate the benefits process.
