The Pensions Service Partnership Fund is a new £13 million fund which aims to improve take-up of older people’s benefits – particularly those in hard to reach groups.
Linkwide is one of 15 Scottish organisations to have secured a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) contract under the terms of the Fund.
Linkwide will operate the early part of its contract in partnership with Castle Rock Housing Association under the heading of the Older Persons Advice Project. Both Housing Associations presently operate their own successful Welfare Rights services and the Older Persons Advice Project will complement this existing provision.
Linkwide estimates that some 1400 older people, who are either tenants, owners or other older people who are customers of Link or Castle Rock, will refer to the project during its lifespan. The Older Persons Advice Project has the principal aim of increasing benefits accessed by older people and these include; Attendance Allowance, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Carers Allowance and Pension Credit. The project’s secondary aim will be to offer further information and advice to older people to promote independence and to tackle exclusion and isolation.
The Older Persons Advice project will employ 3 new staff members and will be operated from the Link Falkirk office. The project will deliver its services to older people within their own locality and will offer benefit advice and information to tenants of Link and Castle Rock and to other customers across central Scotland. The first phase of service delivery will focus on Edinburgh and the East and the project will commence in March 2005.
Page last updated on Wednesday, 23 July 2008
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