1 May 09 Dodds welcomes £3million of assistance provided to lone pensioners in Northern Ireland

£2,687,942 has been distributed to pensioners through the Lone Pensioner Allowance in 2008/09 which entitles persons aged 70 or over who live alone to a 20% discount in their rates bill.

Welcoming this, the Minister said: “The Lone Pensioner Allowance is another example of the tangible help that the Executive is providing to one of our most vulnerable groups in society. It is encouraging to see how many people have availed of this assistance which I am sure is of particular use in this current economic climate."

In the past year 17,598 pensioners have benefited from this form of help. However, it is thought that many more pensioners may be entitled to this discount. The Minister urged all those who qualify for the assistance to apply.

“If you are aged 70 or over and are living alone, or you have family members in this situation, I urge you to apply for the Lone Pensioner Allowance. If you are eligible you will receive this help irrespective of income or savings because the Lone Pensioner Allowance is not means tested. This means that getting the allowance does not depend on your income or savings so you don’t have to tell us about them when you apply.”

If you are not a lone pensioner you can still receive help with your rate bill by applying for Housing Benefit or Rate Relief. Last April the Executive increased the savings threshold for pensioners applying for help under the rate relief scheme from £16,000 to £50,000. The average award made under both the Lone Pensioner Allowance and the rate relief scheme is around £160.

Outlining some of the other measures the Executive has taken to benefit local people, the Minister said: “In delivering for the people of Northern Ireland we have frozen domestic rates for three years and deferred water charges, as well as reducing the cost of prescription charges with a view to abolishing them next year and providing free public transport for pensioners.”

If you own and live in your own home, and wish to apply for Housing Benefit or Rate Relief you can phone Land & Property Services’ helpline on 0845 300 6360 (textphone 0845 3006361), call in at your local Land & Property Services office or go to the Land & Property Services website

If you rent your home or you used to own the property you live in and you still have to pay rates, you can phone the Housing Executive on 08448 920902 for more information, call in at your local Housing Executive office or go to www.nihe.gov.uk and download an application form.

Notes to Editors:

The Lone Pensioner Allowance (LPA) was introduced in April 2008 following the Executive’s Review of Rating Reform. LPA can be back dated to 1st April 2008.

A pensioner aged 70 or above may still be eligible to the allowance even if someone else lives with them, for example if they are providing care to the person and are not a disqualified relative.

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