Wigan charity supports households with cost-of-living crisis

Age UK Wigan Borough has supported people with retrieving benefits, that would have otherwise been left unclaimed, since April last year.

Their free Information and Advice service specialises in supporting people aged 50 and above with their benefits claims such as pension credit and attendance allowance and provides advice, and practical assistance such as completing forms and writing letters.

An Age UK Wigan Borough client said: “Age UK WB was fantastic.

"They filled two forms in - one for me and one for my wife. I could not have filled them in myself.

"My wife has dementia and I have a lung condition that there is no cure for.

"They have got us the benefits that we need to pay someone to help us, big thank you again.”

A recent survey shows 74 per cent of Age UK Wigan Borough’s information and advice clients would not know where to go if their service was not available.

Its chief officer Bryonie Shaw said: “We have seen a significant 51 per cent increase in demand for our Information and Advice service since the summer of 2022.

"People 50 and over right across Wigan Borough are feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and we aim to do everything we can to help them access benefits they are entitled to.

"Working alongside Wigan Council and other partners we want to urge anyone struggling at this time, to make contact and find out what help is available”