Registered Charity # 1080517

Looking back, looking forwardThanks to your support, 2012 was a great year for our campaigns

Care in CrisisOur Care in Crisis campaign has gone from strength to strength, including a Mass Lobby of Parliament, attended by more than 1,000 people. Campaigners from across the country called for change, meeting with their MPsand detailing their experiences. Our petition, calling for the Government to fix the care system, was signed by over 130,000 people and we presented it to 10 Downing Street in May. We were delighted when the Health Minister responded to the campaign announcing the draft Care and Support Bill and the Social Care White Paper, outlining plans to significantly improve the current situation.

More Money in Your PocketAge UK’s More Money in Your Pocket campaign continued to encourage older people to claim their benefits. Our marvellous moneybus, sponsored by Legal & General, toured eight areas of England to encourage people to access our information and advice services. We were visited by people from all walks of life and managed to help people claim an estimated £300,000.

Make Your Home Falls FreeThrough our Make Your Home Falls Free campaign, sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care, we provided support to 55,000 older people to help them reducetheir risk of falling.

Spread the WarmthThe Spread the Warmth campaign put the issue of older people’s health during the winter months on to the Government’s agenda. Hundreds of campaigners emailed the Department of Health to call for the Warm Homes Healthy People programme to continue this winter, and this campaign action resulted in success.In September, the Health Minister announced that £20 million would be made available for this essential work. We received excellent media coverage for our campaign report The Cost of Cold, which highlights the need for excess winter deaths to become a health priority in England and calls for the Government to improve the energy efficiency of older people’s homes. The list could go on but for now we thank you for your involvement as we continue to campaign for a better life for older people. We look forward to working with you in 2013.

Letter received from Day Centre Client

If you are looking for a day centre, to meet your every need. Somewhere you are made very welcome. Look and book a centre that will give you value for money. It

is well equipped with tables, chairs and toilets. The staff are qualified care workers and help you when you are disabled or just need helping. There is a varied menu and the meals are excellent: well cooked and well served. You can make friends and play bingo, you can win prizes. You can also play games like darts, skittles and basket ball, if you like you can sing along you will find that here. The day centre I am thoroughly recommending is Beeches Road Day Centre- Age UK. I hope this will give you a new lease of life.

Yours Truly,Cynthia Freeman (member)PS – If you would like to play the bonus ball this is optional at £1 a go- this partly goes to finance the centre. I hope to see you all soon, you will never look back.

THE WELFARE REFORM ACT – HOW IT AFFECTS YOUYou may have heard about the Welfare Reform Act 2012, which became law in March 2012. The Act introduces major changes to the benefits system, particularly for people of working age. It is mainly aimed at reforming the benefits system for people of working age but some of the changes will affect older people too.

Here are some of the main changes:  UNIVERSAL CREDIT WILL BE INTRODUCED

Universal Credit will replace certain benefits for people of working age, including:

Income Support Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Housing Benefit

Universal Credit will be introduced from October 2013. If you are in later life, you may be affected if:

your partner is under Pension Credit age, and you are over Pension Credit age. You will no longer be able to claim Pension Credit – your partner will have to claim Universal Credit instead. But if you are already claiming Pension Credit

when the change comes in you won't be affected (unless or until there is a break in your Pension Credit claim for some reason).

you have dependent children living with you. Child Tax Credit will be abolished, and financial help for children will be provided on Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

you are working in a low-paid job and over Pension Credit age. You will no longer be able to claim Working Tax Credit.

By ‘Pension Credit age’, we mean the age at which you are eligible to claim it. You don’t actually have to be claiming it. This age is gradually increasing at the same pace as women’s State Pension age.

PENSION CREDIT IS CHANGING

Because Housing Benefit is being abolished, Pension Credit will change. It will include a new housing credit to help towards rent. It is expected that this will come in for new claimants in October 2014 while if you are already receiving Housing Benefit you will be transferred to the new Pension Credit system between 2014 and 2017.

Because Child Tax Credit is being abolished, Pension Credit will include additional amounts if you have dependent children.

There may be a new savings limit for Pension Credit. There is currently no savings limit. If one is introduced, it will be over £16,000.

It will be easier for carers to claim the extra amount for carers in Pension Credit.

PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT WILL BE INTRODUCED, AND DLA FOR ADULTS WILL BE PHASED OUT

A new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people of working age who are disabled.

‘Working age’ means below 65, but this age will rise as State Pension age rises. When someone receiving PIP reaches 65, they will be able to keep claiming it as long as they still meet the criteria for it.

PIP will have two components called mobility and daily living component. Each of these components will have 2 rates of payment, depending on the level of disability of the claimant.

PIP will start to apply to some new claimants from April 2013, and to all from June 2013. If you currently get DLA you may be reassessed for PIP. If you are under 65, reassessments will start from autumn 2013. The government has not yet decided whether to reassess people who are over 65 and getting DLA when PIP is introduced. 

COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW LOCALISED SCHEME

Council Tax Benefit will be abolished and replaced with local support in 2013-14. Local authorities in England will receive funding to help people pay Council Tax. Scotland and Wales will come up with their own local schemes.

The Government has said current and future pensioners in England should receive the same level of support under the new scheme as at present. Support for people of working age is likely to be reduced.

EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT ALLOWANCE WILL CHANGE

You can claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you’re unable to work because of illness or disability.

Contributory ESA used to be payable indefinitely, but now it is only paid indefinitely to people with severe medical conditions (in the ‘support group’). Everyone else can only claim it for a year.

HELP WITH SOCIAL HOUSING RENTS IS CHANGING

If you’re under Pension Credit age and you rent a house in the social housing sector, you will get less help with your rent after April 2013 if you are considered to have more bedrooms than required. As explained above, under Universal Credit you will be treated as ‘working age’ if you are a pensioner but have a younger partner so some pensioners may be affected by this in the future. 

NEW BENEFITS CAP

If you are under Pension Credit age, or you have a partner who is under Pension Credit age, there will be a limit on the total amount of benefits you can receive. It will be linked to the average earnings of a working household. It will be around £350 a week for single adults, and £500 a week for couples and lone parents.

The cap will not apply to you if you receive Disability Living Allowance, Working Tax Credit, ESA support component or war widow’s pension. The cap will start to be introduced from April 2013 through reductions in Housing Benefit. 

The LifeBook is a free booklet where you write important and useful information about your life, from who insures your car to where you put the TV licence.

Sometimes it is easy to mislay important documents and information, so, we developed the LifeBook to help you find exactly what you need without searching.

Why should I complete it?

The LifeBook will not only help you to be more organised but could also be invaluable to a family member or a friend if they need to find important information about you in an emergency

How do I use it?

Cooking & Healthy Eating Programme

You will learn all about:*Getting your 5 A Day *Reading food labels*Quick meals*Cutting down on fat, sugar & salt.You will receive:

healthy eating information cook and taste sessions

And if you complete the 6-week course you will also get:

a bag full of goodies recipes and a cook book

Follow the step-by-step instructions to fill in the various sections with your details, contacts and locations of important documents. You don’t have to do it all at once - just complete it at your own pace.

The LifeBook is available in a booklet or we can email you a copy to complete and store on your computer

For more details contact Carol Wilson on 0121 500 1873

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Sandwell Cancer Awareness Outreach Worker

Delivering free cancer awareness sessions to the local community in Sandwell

Cancer affects us all

We hear about cancer all the time. Around 1in 3 people in the UK will develop cancer during their lifetime, and almost everyone will know someone who has been affected by cancer at some stage in their life.

There are many myths surrounding cancer. It’s fate, we’re born with, it happens after a fall, or we’ve been bad people and it’s our own fault, are just to name a few. None of this is true!

The truth is, many cancer deaths are preventable, and are not fate, however, many people continue to be unaware of this and believe there is little that can be done.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!

Cancer awareness sessions dispel the myths and offer factual knowledge of an age old disease.

We look at what cancer is, how it develops and how we can lower our risk of getting it.

Being body aware is the key. Know the signs & symptoms. Know what to report. Let’s talk cancer and be a winner!!!

HEALTHIER CHIPS

Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 30-40 minutes Serves: 1

Traditional chips need a lot of fat for deep frying. These chips use fresh potatoes, plus a little olive oil, which contains unsaturated fat, and are full of vitamin C. You can also use some seasoning to jazz them up.

Sandwell Stride Walks

A great way to get some exercise, enjoy a walk and the fresh air of some of Sandwell’s best parks and nature reserves.

All walks are led by trained leaders and all abilities are welcome.

New over 50’s weekly walking group

Starting February 2013

Meet at Wednesbury Library

At 10.30am, walk around Brunswick Park for approx 2 mile.

1ST and 3rd Friday of each month

Ring Carol Wilson on 500 1873 to confirm your place.

For more Sandwell Stride Walks across Sandwell please call 0800 011 4656

Cooking & Healthy Eating Programme

You will learn all about:*Getting your 5 A Day *Reading food labels*Quick meals*Cutting down on fat, sugar & salt.You will receive:

healthy eating information cook and taste sessions

And if you complete the 6-week course you will also get:

a bag full of goodies recipes and a cook book

Sandwell Silver Surfers 8 week beginners course

New classes starting again April 2013

Langley Library, Barrs Street, Oldbury

Wednesdays 10.30am-12.30pm

Oldbury Library, Jack Judge House

Saturdays 10.30am-12.30pm

We meet at the following libraries once a month for Computer Drop-In sessions

Langley Library

2nd Monday each month 10.30am-12.30am

Cradley Heath Library

4th Friday each month 2.00pm-4.00pm

8 week courses need to be booked in advance

HEALTHIER CHIPS

Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 30-40 minutes Serves: 1

Traditional chips need a lot of fat for deep frying. These chips use fresh potatoes, plus a little olive oil, which contains unsaturated fat, and are full of vitamin C. You can also use some seasoning to jazz them up.

Thank you letter December 2012

Dear AgeUK,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Age UK for giving me the chance for the past few weeks to be taught how to use the computer. On the first Wednesday I was very nervous about going after having a bad time at another class some years ago. On arrival everyone was friendly. Maurice Cooper introduced himself to us and explained what the lessons we were about to be taught would be. We were then all logged into the computers, and given explanations and tasks to do, to start using the computers. Maurice was able to help us all and answer or explain any questions asked.

All at once I could see some light at the end of the tunnel, if for some reason you had a problem and Maurice was helping someone else. Either Carol or Steven came to the rescue.

At the end of the lesson, I felt so happy at last I could understand many things, and that I could be taught new things. Instead of going out, as I had come in, nervous I felt I wanted to skip back home. To start to practice what I had been taught.

The past few weeks I have really enjoyed Wednesdays meeting up with Maurice, carol and Steven, they are like old friends, always ready to help us all.

I would like if possible to take further lessons, I know I still have a lot to learn.

Thank you again for the help Maurice, Carol and Steven gave me and for all their patience, they really helped me understand many things.

Spot the 10 differences Sudoku

There are a number of Spring words in the box opposite. Cross each one off as you find it. However one word does not appear in the word search. Send the missing word to us at Bull Street along with your name, address and contact number. Or e-mail the answer to us at Carol.Wilson@ageuksandwell.org.uk for a chance to win a £10 voucher. Closing date 29th April 2013

Every Thursday , 11– 12.30

Sandwell Valley Park,

(Meet at Closer to the Edge)

Salters Lane,

West Bromwich

Winner of our Autumn newsletter was Mrs G Johnson

Correct answer ‘’Orange”

Winner of our Winter newsletter was Mrs Barbara Blundell

Correct answer “Skating”

AZALEA DAISY HYACINTH ROSE

CROCUS DANDELION IRIS TULIP

DAFFODIL DIANTHUS LILAC CARNATION

VIOLET