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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Can welfare-rights advice targeted at older people reduce social exclusion? | | Author(s) | Suzanne Moffatt, Graham Scambler |
| Journal title | Ageing and Society, vol 28, part 6, August 2008 |
| Pages | pp 875-900 |
| Source | http://www.journals.cambridge.org/ASO |
| Keywords | Social welfare ; Rights [elderly] ; Advisory services [elderly] ; Isolation ; Poor elderly ; Quality of life ; Qualitative Studies. |
| Annotation | It is known that in general people of pensionable age have gained in income compared to other age groups in the British population over the last two decades, but that a substantial minority still experience relative poverty. This paper reports a small qualitative study into the effectiveness of a welfare-rights advice and acquisition service for men and women aged 60 or more years that was provided through a local primary health-care service. Additional financial and non-financial resources were obtained by accessing previously unclaimed state-welfare benefits. It was found that these significantly improved the participants' quality of life. Fourteen of the 25 participants received some type of financial award as a result of the service offered, with the median income gain being £57 per week. The impact of additional resources was considerable and included: increased affordability of necessities and occasional expenses; increased capacity to cope with emergencies; and reduced stress related to financial worries. Knowledge of and access to welfare-rights services also appeared to have a positive effect. It is argued that a level of material resources about a basic level is necessary for social relations and for accessing services and civic activities, and can reduce social exclusion among older people. (KJ/RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-080714206 A |
| Classmark | TY: IKR: IT: TP: F:W6: F:59: 3DP |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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