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30 June 2008

Older residents' debt reduced by over £150,000 in Tadley

· Help the Aged and Barclays celebrate first year of Your Money Matters project 

Help the Aged and Barclays are this week celebrating the first successful year of the Your Money Matters project in Tadley, during which time the project has helped to reduce £154,886 of debt for older people.

The project, which is run by Help the Aged and supported by Barclays, is based at Tadley Citizens Advice Bureau and offers free and impartial money management and debt advice to local older people through group information sessions and one-to-one appointments.   

Your Money Matters Adviser, Linda Harvey, said: 'When we launched Your Money Matters at Tadley Citizens Advice Bureau a year ago we said we wanted to improve the skills, confidence and financial situation of local older people, and after a busy but exciting first year we're well on our way to doing this.  

'Working with my clients over the past 12 months has been extremely rewarding, and we’re committed to helping many more people who could benefit from the work the project carries out.'

Eric, 79, contacted Linda for help as both he and wife were struggling to pay their rent and council tax. Eric said: 'My wife and I were living off our savings, and it seemed that our financial situation was steadily getting worse.

'However, when I met Linda I had a benefits assessment and found out that I was entitled to claim benefits. Linda completed the relevant forms and arranged for my benefits to be backdated for one year. I now receive Pension Credit (£10.23), Housing Benefit (£96.52) and Council Tax Benefit (£19.62) every week. The extra money has meant that my wife and I can now lead a better life.'

Julia Husband, Head of Community Relations at Barclays, said: 'It is very encouraging that, only 12 months after its launch, the Your Money Matters project at Tadley Citizens Advice Bureau is making such a positive and tangible difference to the lives of older people living in Tadley.

'The project has made a great start and we’re determined to fully utilise the expertise and the skills of our employees, in partnership with the knowledge and experience of Help the Aged, to continue this success into its second year.'

General money management information is offered at group-awareness sessions, open to all older people, at various locations in and around Tadley and Basingstoke. These sessions can then be followed by confidential one-to-one meetings with a trained debt adviser, either as home visits or through appointments at drop-in centres providing a comprehensive money management and debt advice service. This does not include financial or investment advice. 

If you think you or an older person you know could benefit from Your Money Matters, please contact Linda Harvey on 0118 981 3453 for more information about sessions and appointments.

Notes to Editors: 

Help the Aged

Help the Aged is the charity fighting to free disadvantaged older people in the UK and overseas from poverty, isolation and neglect. It campaigns to raise public awareness of the issues affecting older people and to bring about policy change. The Charity delivers a range of services: information and advice, home support and community living, including international development work. Help the Aged also funds vital research into the health issues and experiences of older people to improve the quality of later life.

All of these activities are only possible thanks to the generosity of our donors and Help the Aged is trying to increase the amount of funds raised to expand its charitable work and help the growing number of older people in need.

Help the Aged urgently needs donations and support to help it in the increasingly challenging fight to free disadvantaged older people from poverty, isolation and neglect. Visit www.helptheaged.org.uk or call 0207 239 1982.

Barclays

Barclays PLC is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays is one of the largest financial services companies in the world by market capitalisation. Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs over 127,000 people, moving, lending, investing and protecting money for over 27 million customers and clients worldwide. 

Tadley Citizens Advice Bureau

A generalist advice agency open every morning 10:00am to 1:00pm providing face-to-face and telephone advice. New Toppit-Up offers a complete service, from form filling to representation at Tribunals, to ensure that all local people of 60 or over as well as their partners, dependents and carers are receiving all the benefit income that they are entitled to - ring 0118 9817582

All Citizens Advice Bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are members of Citizens Advice, the national charity which sets standards for advice and equal opportunities and supports bureaux with an information system, training and other services. For further information, visit the website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk