Advice and Information

Contents:
Please click on one of the following headings for further information:

• Introduction

• ACE Factsheets

• Campaigning

• Advice on Home Energy

• Social Care & Health

• Residential and Nursing Homes

• Day Centres in Birmingham

• Legal Advice & Will Writing

• Trading Standards

• Silver Surfer Lessons

• Older lesbians, gay men and bisexuals

• Benefit Claim Forms

• Dementia

• Useful Telephone Numbers

• Contact Details

Please note that Age Concern Birmingham accepts no responsibility for external links used on its website.

Introduction

Age Concern Birmingham offers a wide range of advice, information and support on financial matters:
Welfare benefits such as Income Support, Pension Credit, Social Fund, Attendance Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Carers Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and NHS costs.

Applications forms for all of the above benefits can be obtained at our office at The Place 2b, 198 Corporation Street, Birmingham, B4 6QB, Tel: 0121 236 2197.

Assistance is provided with:

• Applying for Retirement Pension, information is given on qualifying National Insurance contributions and verification of official documents required to process the application.

• Reviews and appeal procedures for Welfare Benefits.

• Council Tax and Housing Benefit payments.

• Debt Counselling, liaison with Bailiffs, advice on County Court procedures and individual support.

• Fuel bills and other household bills including assistance with debt or arrears problems.

• Grants from local, national, occupational, general, illness, disability, service and ex service, religious, Charitable  Trusts to individuals to help with expenses such as replacing  ‘White Goods’ e.g. cookers, fridges, minor home repairs, medical costs, clothing and utility debts.

• Private occupational pension queries signposting service provided to appropriate advice and support agencies.

Age Concern Birmingham can also help with advice on a range of needs and enquiries:

• Counselling and Support for Carers

• Information on Day Centres and Lunch Clubs

• Support for people in cases of abuse of older people

• Befriending and Counselling Schemes to provide long term practical and emotional support

• Assistance with housing issues and repairs

• Advice on suitable holidays for older and disabled people.

• Age Concern fact sheets and help with where to find a variety of information:

           
To view the following factsheets click on the blue hyperlink below each heading:

Also available is a list of:

• Sheltered Housing Associations (Click here for more info)

• Private domestic and Nursing organisations.

• Companies that provide wheelchair hire.

Campaigning

The new Your Rights 2008/09 campaign was launched on Wednesday 9th April 2008 – but this time with a brand new name, More Money in Your Pocket.  This campaign focuses on making the elderly aware of the benefits they are entitled to and as a result getting more money in their pockets!
The campaign is bustling with a year-long calendar of activity, with a focus on a new benefit or set of benefits every two months.
Month Promotion

    
For more information please click here: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/benefits.asp

Advice on Home Energy

Age Concern Birmingham will carry out an energy watch price comparison service and also assist with contractual disputes and any fuel related issues.  Advice is given on  the Warm Front Scheme, a government funded initiative with Eaga partnership which will assist with replacement central heating systems to clients receiving a qualifying benefit.  Also provided is advice for clients who do not receive benefit and may still qualify for grant assistance.  Advice is offered on Insulation Grants through the Carbon Emissions Trust.

Energy companies offering social tariffs

Energy Advice Lines

Energywatch

From 1st October 2008  Energywatch merged with Postwatch and the national consumer council into a new organisation Consumer Focus which will only deal with a restricted category of complaint.

Customer Focus

Consumer Focus will only investigate complaints where a customer is threatened with disconnection, has been disconnected, has experienced a failure in a prepayment meter system and complaints from vulnerable customers.

For these purposes a consumer will be seen as vulnerable where it is not reasonable to expect that person to be able to pursue their own complaint because of:

• The personal circumstances of that particular consumer
• The urgency/ criticality of the situation  and the inability of the consumer to be able to handle the issue within the time frame in which they need to act
• The complexity of the problem for that particular consumer
• Any combination of such factors

Access to the Consumer Focus service can only be made through Consumer Direct. Staff at Consumer Direct will determine that the    issue related to disconnection or that the person is vulnerable. The case will then be referred to Consumer Focus’ Extra Help Unit.

Fuel Poverty

If you are experiencing difficulties with paying your gas and electricity bills, please contact our Advice and Information department and speak to one of our advisors:

Sharon McCabe - Senior Advice & Information Officer  - 0121 236 2197

Sarnjit Uppal  - Advice & Information Officer  - 0121 236 2197

Vicky Jones  - Advice & Information Officer  - 0121 236 2197

Social Care and Health

Advice and support is provided on assessment procedures for domiciliary care and residential and nursing care homes.  Support is provided with disputes and appeals in relation to assessments.  Advice given on the assistance available from Social Services and how to obtain it.

Residential and Nursing Homes

Age Concern Birmingham provides information on the financial help which may be available from the local authority for older people needing care in a care home.

If you wish to obtain a list of residential and nursing homes you can access a database of residential services in the West Midlands by logging onto www.csci.org.uk.   This is the Commission for Social Care Inspection who inspect and report on care homes.  On the website you will be able to run a search for particular types of care homes relating to your requirements.  For example, you can run a search on nursing homes, learning disability homes etc.  You will also be able to obtain information relating to the number of people who are registered for the home.

Age Concern Birmingham has expanded its services and has now become an alternative office for the Pension Service

Age Concern Birmingham is now able to verify official documents e.g marriage certificates, birth certificates and process benefit applications in a  quick and efficient manner.

Day Centres in Birmingham

To obtain a list of day centres in the Birmingham area the following link is available:

http://www.uksearcher.com/lookup/Day-Centres/Birmingham.html

Legal Advice Surgery and Will Writing Service

A Will Writing Service and 30 minutes FREE legal advice is available, as requested by our clients.  Appointments are made from 10am onwards every Wednesday at our office at 198 Corporation Street, Birmingham.

If you require a home visit please contact Sharon McCabe [Senior Advice & Information Officer] on 0121 236 2197.

DO YOU NEED HELP FROM TRADING STANDARDS?
HAVE THE SERVICES YOU HAVE RECEIVED NOT BEEN UP TO STANDARD?   DO YOU NEED TO BE HEARD?

Consumer Direct can help you
Telephone: 08454 04 05 06
Website: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.

Information and support is provided with templates for standard complaint letters that can be downloaded.   Also available is information about the latest scams that you need to be aware of.

Silver Surfer Lessons

Pensioners are the fastest growing group of internet users.   Age Concern Birmingham has acknowledged this and offers Silver Surfer Lessons every Monday at 198 Corporation Street in Birmingham City Centre.

For more information please contact Karen Knight [Volunteer Manager] on 0121 262 3024.

  Later life as an older lesbian, gay or bisexual person

Age Concern Birmingham provides information, support and a referral service for older lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and anyone who needs to consider issues around their sexuality.

We will provide suitable support, offer appropriate information and discuss relevant options.

For a free information guide please click on the following link:
<http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/EB6D33A870764D82931896AF798882B9.asp>

Benefit Claim Forms

The Department for Work and Pensions provides claim forms online for benefits, allowances, pensions and other payments. Their website provides links that take you to the information you need before you claim. Please read this information before filling in any forms. Each form also comes with notes that help you fill it in. To download claim forms or for more information please click on the link below:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/resourcecentre/claim_forms.asp#a

Dementia

Information on Dementia can be obtained from the Alzheimer’s Society. They provide factsheets on a wide range of dementia related topics.

They also have a helpline which is open from 8.30am to 6.30pm between Monday and Friday - 0845 300 0336.  For more information please click on the following link:  

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200120&gclid=CM_J9sOC8pUCFQrolAodez9MfQ

Useful Telephone Numbers

Useful Contact Numbers

Contact Us

Birmingham City Centre

Our main Trading, Advice & Information Department located in Birmingham City Centre is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday.  Age Concern Birmingham operates an ‘open door’ policy but appointments can be arranged within these times.  For further information please contact:

Sharon McCabe
Senior Advice and Information Officer
The Place 2B
198 Corporation Street
Birmingham
B4 6QB
T: 0121 236 2197
E: s.mccabe@ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk

Sarnjit Uppal
Advice and Information Officer
Address and telephone no.  as above
E: s.uppal@ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk
[Urdu and Punjabi spoken]

Vicky Jones
Advice and Information Officer
Address and telephone no.  as above
E: v.jones@ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk

North & East Area Office

Tony Kibble – East Area Manager   
14 Boldmere Road
Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield
B73 5JD
Open: 10.00am – 2.00pm – Mon. – Fri.
T: 0121 250 2030
E: north&eastoffice@ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk

South Area Office

Tony Davis
South Area Manager
Flat 25, Manningford Court, 14 Manningford Road
Druids Heath, Birmingham
T: 0121 604 5200