Allowances
What can an older person claim and how?
Who will receive Winter Fuel Payment in the UK in 2025 and how?
As with the Covid booster, there’s currently confusion about who is eligible to receive the Winter Fuel Payment this autumn. That’s because the rules have changed since 2024, and in the case of the Winter Fuel Payment, they have changed twice – and will change again in the future. Here’s an explanation of what the […]
Read more
NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) – Preparation Checklist
NHS Continuing Healthcare in England is funding provided by the NHS for people aged 18+ who have significant ongoing health care needs (outside hospital). It covers all assessed health and associated care needs. The funding is notoriously difficult to achieve, and success varies across regions of the country. To support your application, artificial intelligence tool […]
Read more
One in three adults caring for a relative don’t fully understand Carer’s Allowance
Carer’s Allowance in the UK is set to become more generous from April 2025, but new research suggests that many unpaid carers won’t benefit because they don’t understand what is on offer. A study among 1,000 carers aged 45-75 for retirement specialist Just Group to support the 12th edition of its Care Report, found that […]
Read more
Calls to end the Carer’s Allowance work/benefit trap
The financial problems facing unpaid carers have finally been recognised publicly, alongside calls to fix the system that is punishing people for caring and working to support themselves. In an editorial, the Guardian refers to what’s been described as a ‘catch out culture’ at the Department of Work and Pensions. Any carer earning over £151 […]
Read more
Warnings on no-win, no-fee offers on NHS CHC claims
The question of NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) payments has been a challenging one for many. Now the announcement of updated UK government guidelines have prompted renewed warnings from a group of organisations campaigning to improve CHC that they should be aware of their rights and be wary of no-claim, no-fee offers. What is NHS CHC? […]
Read more
What does the UK chancellor’s Spring Statement mean for seniors?
On 23 March 2020 the UK Chancellor set out his budgetary changes, responding to a rising cost of living that is already badly blighting many lives. Is the good news good enough? What are the changes, what do they mean for older people, and how do the experts think? Not all changes affect older people, […]
Read more
Claiming benefits and allowances for older people and their carers
Older people in the UK can claim a wide variety of benefits to help finance their everyday lives. Some are well-known and easy-ish to claim. Many are not. Here are the key allowances that they or their supporter may be able to claim. Where the process is complex, we’ve added links for you to investigate […]
Read more
NHS Continuing Healthcare: why it’s important to have a coordinator
Claiming NHS Continuing Healthcare in the UK is an uphill struggle. Our expert Roger Burgess explains why it’s so important to ensure an independent coordinator is appointed. Note: This article was originally published in February 2016, and the Framework it discusses has since been updated. While much of this article is still relevant, there […]
Read more
NHS fully-funded care for people with primary health needs – part 2
Following his discussion of who can claim NHS Continuing Healthcare funding in part 1 of this article, independent adviser Roger Burgess explains the steps that applicants will go through to make their claim. He provides comment and advice based on his experience of helping others to make claims. Note: This article was originally published in […]
Read more
NHS fully-funded care for people with primary health needs – part 1
People with a ‘primary health need’ could be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare financial support but it’s not a service that’s widely advertised. Expert Roger D Burgess describes what he has learned from helping families to make their claims. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in February 2016, and the Framework it discusses has […]
Read more