With figures from the Department for Work and Pensions showing that the retired population fail to claim over £5 billion in entitlements they are eligible for*, McCarthy and Stone, which has a Retirement Living development, Stillington Oaks in Easingwold, have put in place their own dedicated Entitlements Advisors to help older people in Easingwold and the surrounding areas, access the entitlements available to them.
In the last five years, McCarthy and Stone’s Entitlement Advice Service has helped homeowners claim over £5 million in benefits. Daphne Thompson, a current homeowner at Stillington Oaks in Easingwold, is one of the many retirees that this service has helped, and who now receives a monthly allowance in addition to her pension.
The service is open to all current and prospective homeowners, and anyone interested is invited to call the Stillington Oaks development and book a free appointment.
Daphne explains: “We have a homeowners meeting every Thursday at the development and Aleks Clayton, Entitlements Advisor for the North, came to give a talk. She was absolutely fantastic! She explained the whole process to us in clear and simple terms and encouraged everyone at Stillington Oaks to speak to her confidentially to see if they would be eligible to claim. The thought of applying for something like this would have never even crossed my mind and I wouldn’t have known where to start, but Aleks took the time to sit down with me and go through all the forms I had to fill in to make sure I understood everything.
“Of course you never think anything will come from it, but when I got a letter from the Department for Works and Pensions saying I was eligible for a monthly allowance that would make my financial situation a bit more comfortable, I thought it was too good to be true. Alek’s help and advice has had a big impact on my retirement. If I’m in Easingwold town with heavy shopping I can get a taxi home rather than wait for the bus; or if I want to get my hair done in the hairdressers instead of doing it myself I can. It’s the little things like this that have made all the difference.”
The Entitlements Advice Service from McCarthy and Stone is a free and confidential service provided to existing and prospective homeowners. Anyone over 60 can pop along to the development, and it involves a full entitlements check including state pension, pension credit, attendance allowance, disability, council tax, health, winter fuel, TV licence and warm home discount scheme.
Liz Green, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for McCarthy and Stone North East, comments: “It’s wonderful to hear from our homeowners in Easingwold who are benefiting from our Entitlements Advice Service. At McCarthy and Stone, our commitment is to not only deliver high quality apartments, but to also ensure that our homeowners have access to all the support and assistance they need to live comfortably and enjoy their retirement to the full. We would advise retirees at any age and whatever their situation to carry out a full entitlements check to ensure that they are receiving the help they are eligible for, and to help with the cost of their home and bills.”
Dedicated to providing a choice of age-appropriate housing in the North East, McCarthy and Stone’s Retirement Living developments have been designed to offer homeowners the very best in independent living within a safe and secure environment, meaning purchasers can benefit from companionship when they want it, and privacy when they need it.
Facilities at Stillington Oaks include a stunning homeowners’ lounge ideal for socialising with friends, beautiful landscaped gardens, and a convenient guest suite should homeowners have friends or relatives to stay. As well as this, the development benefits from its own House Manager, who ensures the smooth-running of the development, a security entrance system, plus 24 hour emergency call points – for added peace of mind for both homeowners and their families.
The development has proved so popular that there are now just six apartments remaining at Stillington Oaks. For further information or to arrange an appointment with the sales team, please call: 0800 201 4739. For more information on Retirement Living in Easingwold please visit www.mccarthyandstone.co.uk
*DWP figures taken from the following report: Income-related benefits: Estimates of take-up in 2013/14