National charity Independent Age has granted £1.8m to 13 different advice charities across the UK to help support older people facing financial hardship.

The grants will be distributed to charities across Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Leicester and London as part of a round of funding available through Independent Age’s Boosting Advice Fund.

The total raised through the fund so far is £4.9 million, which has been handed out in grants ranging from £115,000 up to £150,000.

Funded projects all aim to provide advice to support older people to increase their income and reduce costs. This could be helping them to access financial entitlements, such as Pension Credit or Attendance Allowance, or to reduce utility bills or housing costs.

The organisations receiving funding are in high priority areas based on census data indicating high populations of older people on low income.

The grants will fund the equivalent of 12 full-time advisors to help provide support, as part of the fund’s plan to help increase the capacity of face-to-face advice provision in a digital world.

“We are proud to support these 13 incredible organisations as part of our mission to improve the lives of older people experiencing financial hardship across the UK,” Independent Age head of grants and partnerships, Hannah Lison said.

“With over 2 million older people living in poverty and many more at risk, it’s vital that people in later life have access to expert advice to make sure they’re receiving everything they’re entitled to.

“All the charities we’re funding have an established track record of providing high quality advice in a face-to-face setting. They are also deeply rooted in communities we know have a high number of older people on low incomes. As such they are well-placed to raise awareness of financial support, like Pension Credit, which so many are missing out on. We look forward to working with them over the next three years and seeing how their projects develop with our support.”

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