Enter our competition to win two tickets to see new comedy 'In A World...' at the Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) in Belfast! Carol, a struggling vocal coach is motivated by her father, the king of...
Wednesday 2 October 2013
It’s The Final Countdown!
There are just a few weeks remaining to help Age NI reach its target of getting 60,000 little woolly hats knitted for the Big Knit 2013. Budding milliners have been supporting Age NI and innocent's...
Age NI - The perfect destination for unspent holiday money
Been on holiday abroad? Brought back unused travel money? Age NI is asking holidaymakers to donate their unwanted foreign currency and help support people in later life. A survey from online travel...
Personal Alarms Provide Peace Of Mind For Autumn Gardening
A recent survey* found that over one in ten people aged 55 and over felt that they couldn't live without their gardens! At this time of year, there's plenty to enjoy outdoors with late flowering...
European Heritage Open Days
Over 410 properties and events across Northern Ireland will be opening for free on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September as part of this year's European Heritage Open Days 2013 (EHOD). This year, th...
Competition: win cinema tickets to see 'Diana'
Enter our competition to win two tickets to see new film 'Diana' at the Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) in Belfast! The long- awaited and much talked about biopic of Diana, Princess of Wales finally...
Enjoy Age NI’s Itea & Biscuits week in local libraries
Libraries NI is inviting people in later life, who are interested in learning about the internet and other technology, to take part in this year's Age NI's Itea and Biscuits week will be held from ...
Celebrate 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the Lyric Theatre and Cork Everyman present a sparkling new musical adaptation of this dearly loved novel. The Bennets have...
Never too old to learn, say older web users
From checking their emails to taking pictures of their grandchildren, senior citizens were yesterday championing technology at the launch of a project to ensure Northern Ireland's rising older...
Working carers penalised by new benefit confusion
Carers UK calls on Government to take urgent action on contradictory benefits rules
Carers UK is urging Government to act on illogical, overlapping regulations on benefits which mean some carers juggling work and care face being forced to quit their jobs or lose thousands of pounds in benefits.
Earlier this year, the charity called on Ministers to act to prevent minimum wage rise of 12p an hour resulting in the loss of £59.75 a week as working carers are pushed over the £100 earnings limit for Carer's Allowance.
Carers UK warned that carers juggling work with caring for a loved one face the 'absurd situation' of either cutting employment hours or losing a total of £3,000 a year in financial support from Carer's Allowance.[1]
Carer's Allowance - currently £59.75 a week- is available to support those caring for an older, disabled or seriously ill loved one for 35 hours a week with an allowable earnings limit of £100 a week.
Carers UK argues that the benefit's'cliff-edge' earnings limit is outdated and is in conflict with the Government's changes to the benefits system.
Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: "There is a complete contradiction with the Government's objective of trying to make the interaction between work and benefits easier for families. These are carers often already struggling with the incredibly difficult balance of work and caring and simply can't have a situation where they are being given the impossible choice of leaving work or losing vital support from the benefits system. Carers UK warned earlier this year that this would penalise carers for caring and for working. The Government must act urgently to make the necessary adjustments to the rules on Carer's Allowance to tackle it."
Carers often find it difficult to find part-time jobs with the right number of hours and which are flexible enough to fit round their caring responsibilities. They also find themselves having to turn down extra hours or promotion to avoid being pushed slightly over the earnings limit and losing Carer's Allowance.
Each year, with the uprating of the minimum wage, Carers UK hears from carers whose earnings rise over £100 by just a matter of pence and who are forced to choose between giving up work, reducing hours or losing their benefits.
Carers also receiving Working Tax Credit could be hit the hardest – as if they cut their working hours in order to stay under the Carer's Allowance earnings limit, they would instead lose thousands of pounds in tax credits.
Carers UK believes a straight forward way to mitigate some of the effects would be to increase the Carer's Allowance earnings limit. This was last done in April 2010 when the limit was increased from £95 to £100.
[1]For example, carers receiving both Carer's Allowance and Working Tax Credit and working 16 hours on minimum wage would currently earn £99.04 a week. Following the rise they would earn £100.96. This would take them above the earnings limit for Carer's Allowance and families would face a choice of:
· Cutting working hours – however many employers may not be able to accommodate this, and it would result in reduced earnings and the loss of Working Tax Credit worth almost £2,000 a year.
· Giving up work – losing both their earnings and Working Tax Credit.
· Losing Carer's Allowance and an income of £3,107 a year.
Sweden Tops List of Best Countries to Grow Old In
Sweden is the best country for older people to live in, according to the first ever overview of the wellbeing of older people around the world. The GlobalAge Watch Index 2013 – published by HelpAge International on UN International Day of Older Persons and UK Older People’s Day – ranks 91 countries in terms of how their older populations are faring, as the number and proportion of older people increases at an unprecedented rate. Income, health, personal capabilities, education, employment and social environment were all looked at as part of a review older people’s experiences in each country. The Index…
Unique opportunity for carers to shape health services
Carers wanted for key role in shaping how Health and Social Care is delivered their local areas.
Carers Northern Ireland argued strongly that carers should have a place on the new Integrated Care Partnerships, in recognition of the vital role they play in health and social care. We are delighted that carers now have this important opportunity to have a direct influence on how services are delivered in their area, as active and equal partners. Don't miss this chance to get involved.
Get Involved in how Health and Social Care is delivered in your area
Integrated Care Partnerships are groups established under the direction of the Minister for Health to help transform Health and Social Care locally.
Integrated Care Partnerships will bring together doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, hospital specialists, other healthcare professionals, service users and carers as well as the voluntary and community sectors, to design and coordinate health and social care services.
There are 17 Integrated Care Partnerships being set up across Northern Ireland.
Carers are invited to join your local Integrated Care Partnership (ICP), working with Health & Social Care providers to:
- Share your experiences of services in your area
- Make recommendations and get involved in improving services
- Work with health and social care providers to develop better ways of working
Integrated Care Partnerships will initially focus on the following services looking at how care is delivered from prevention through to end of life care:
- Services for people with Diabetes
- Services for people with Respiratory conditions
- Services for people with Stroke
- Services for the Frail Elderly
A carer with experience of any of the above service areas are being sought to join each of the partnerships. It is expected that each ICP will meet at least four times per year. At present we require carer representatives on the following ICP groups:
- North Belfast
- South Belfast
- West Belfast
- Ards
- Causeway
- Mid Ulster
- Armagh / Dungannon
Find out more
To find out more and to become part of the conversation on how services in your area are shaped please contact Michael Megaw (Business Support Team Manager at the Health and Social Care Board, 12-22 Linenhall St, Belfast. Telephone: 02890 553782 (ext. 2174)
Email address: Michael.Megaw@hscni.net
Great ambition at the UN General Assembly
Last week I attended this year's UN General Assembly, which had a strong focus on reviewing the Millennium Development Goals and discussing what the future Sustainable Development Goals should target beyond 2015. The peak of the week was the Special Session on the MDGs and post-2015 hosted by Genera...
Funding Opportunity: BBSRC International Partnering Awards
BBSRC: 2013 call for international Partnering Awards – new schemes available
A call for BBSRC-funded scientists to apply for sponsorship to develop international collaborations is now open, with two new opportunities for 2013.
The Partnering Awards scheme provides funding for BBSRC grant holders to build links with laboratories in Europe, Brazil, China, Japan, Taiwan, India the US and other countries.
The scheme aims to support the development of partnerships between researchers in the UK and overseas, promote the exchange of scientists, including early career researchers, and to promote access to facilities.
For 2013, BBSRC is piloting two new partnering award schemes:
· European Partnering Award: In preparation for Horizon 2020, to support consortia-building between UK and EU scientists for the purpose of submitting high quality UK led applications to Horizon 2020 funding calls
· Other Countries Partnering Award:to support partnering activities with any country not currently covered by BBSRC's existing partnering award schemes
Further details at the BBSRC website
Closing date is 27 November 2013
Gateshead 'Hensioners' prepare to celebrate Older People's Day
A group of pensioners from Gateshead have been getting henthusiastic about their new feathered friends
Elderly woman dies in care home fire
An elderly woman dies following a fire at a care home in mid Wales.
UK 13th in older people wellbeing index
When it comes to the quality of life and wellbeing of older people, the UK doesn't even make it into the top 10 countries in the world. {DynamicContent:Social Media Buttons} The alarming statisti...
Nonagenarian portraits mark festival launch
Luminate , Scotland's October-long creative ageing festival, opens today at Stirling's macrobert with Susie Rea's Super Vivere . This is an exhibition of stunning portraits from a photographic seri...
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