Information and Advice
- Location: Age UK Wigan Borough
- Price: Free
Please note, this service is not available outside Age UK Wigan Borough - Head Office's catchment area.
Age UK Wigan Borough
74-80 Hallgate
Wigan
Lancashire
WN1 1HP
United Kingdom
Email: enquiries@ageukwiganborough.org.uk
Telephone: 01942 615880
Age UK Wigan Borough provides information and advice on a range of issues relating to people aged 50 and over, and those who care and support them, who live in the Borough of Wigan.
In 2023-24, we supported local older people to gain over £2.82 million in benefits which would otherwise have remained unclaimed.
Please note that this service is telephone-based and we currently do not have drop in advice sessions. For help, please ring 01942 615880 in the first instance.
How We Can Help
The service is provided free of charge, confidential and offers impartial information and advice.
We specialise in:
• Benefit entitlement checks for means tested and non-means tested benefits to help maximise income.
• Advice on claiming disability benefits, including Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Carers Allowance.
• Advice on welfare benefits for people of State Retirement age, including Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
• Help with completion of Work Capability Questionnaires (UC50/ESA forms).
• Assist with challenging benefit decisions through the Mandatory Reconsideration process and by referring on for support with Appeals.
• Support with online applications for the Blue Badge Scheme.
• Information and signposting to local services, support and activities, including statutory services available locally.
We can arrange appointments to assist older people who would struggle to complete their own claim forms and do not have someone who can help them and may otherwise miss out on claiming.
All enquiries are dealt with confidentially and impartially, and we will not pass individual details onto third parties without prior permission.
Quality
The Information and Advice Service has achieved the Advice Quality Standard.
What we are not able to help with
Sometimes people come to us with problems that we do not have the expertise or knowledge to help with. We are not able to provide advice on working age income benefits, including Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance. We are unable to provide regulated advice including consumer debt advice, financial advice or immigration advice. In these situations, we will try to signpost or refer people to other services who can help with these issues.
What People Say
- I now feel less reliant on friends to take me shopping or on hospital visits;
- The difference this money has made is like a ton of bricks lifted from my back;
- This has made a massive difference for the better to my everyday life.
Information from Age UK
Age UK has a wide range of information guides on different issues affecting older people. These include leaflets on:
- Money and legal issues
- Health and wellbeing
- Care and support
- Work and learning
- Travel and hobbies
- Covid 19
To access these, click the link below