Skipton Building Society has partnered with Age UK in 2024 to support older people through the ‘A Place to Call Home’ programme.
The programme aims to provide one-to-one advice to 5,500 older people so they can live independently in safe, secure and warm homes.
The target is to identify £11m in unclaimed benefits.
Since launching in October 2024, ‘A Place to Call Home’ has supported 1,242 older people and identified £4.6m in unclaimed annual benefits.
Out of 760 service users eligible for benefits, the average entitlement was £5,499 per person each year.
The team handled 6,448 enquiries, averaging five per person.
Most support was for benefits advice (56%), care and support (9%), aids and adaptations (6%), housing options (2%) and loneliness or isolation (2%).
Skipton’s funding covered the cost of 14,000 calls made to Age UK’s free national advice line.
The line offers specialist advice every day of the year to older people, their families and carers.
Funding also went towards research into the cost-of-living crisis and how it affects older households.
The research found older disabled people, renters and those on low or modest incomes are most affected.
One in three (34%) felt less financially secure heading into 2025 compared to the start of 2024.
David Travis, group secretary and general counsel at the Skipton Group, said: “Age UK was chosen by our members to receive funding over a three-year period.
“This funding will help provide vital information, advice, support and friendship for older people – including those living in poverty or in deprived communities.
“Our funding will directly support some of the most vulnerable people in society.”
Travis added: “We’re proud to be working with Age UK to deliver bespoke support to some of those most in need and continue to campaign and raise awareness around the most pressing issues impacting older people.”
Paul Farmer, CEO at Age UK, said: “It’s a tough time right now and the funding Skipton are giving to us will help us support thousands of older people.
“Skipton really understand the challenges that older people are facing and seeing the difference that their funding is enabling us to make to older people to help them feel safe in their communities, but critically feel safe at home, is very rewarding.”
