£18.4m is the result of A2B's smart solution for older people.

By Lisa McElherron - last updated on Thu, 09/12/2010 - 12:42

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A2B (Access to Benefits)works to improve benefit uptake in Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on the over 60s. It does this by streamlining the process for older people from lack of awareness of their benefits, through benefit entitlement checks, to applying for and receiving their entitlements

£18.4million: over all benefit gain to older people from A2B's first 21 months of benefit checks

15,000: number of visits to A2B's on-line benefit checker every 6 weeks

206: Number of organistions trained to provide A2B benefits checks.

Combining Community Development with New Technology

The organisation provides web-based benefit calculator and training for partner organisations that produces individualised, to-the-penny accurate reports of their older clients’ unclaimed entitlement, covering up to 70 services and benefits. Recognising that older people can often be reticent about sharing sensitive financial information with anyone other than a trusted intermediary, A2B has made the service simple, anonymous and free.

Adding Value to the Advice Sector

In collaboration with advice sector partners like CAB and Advice NI, A2B also provides a working-age Benefit Calculator delivered through other organisations’ websites, including advice organisations, councils and utilities. Here are some examples:

CAB Benefit Calculator http://www.citizensadvice.co.uk/getadvice/Benefit-Calculator/

Advice NI Benefit Calculator http://www.adviceni.net/benefits/index.cfm

Limavady Council http://www.limavady.gov.uk/living/benefits-calculator/

A2B is also developing the UK and Ireland’s first automated application form system, A2B FormFiller. From 2011, this will integrate with existing computer systems in the advice sector to significantly reduce the amount of time spent in manually completing of benefit application forms.

Building a Better Evidence Base for Benefit Uptake

Using innovative datamining technology, A2B is using this anonymised data to build a picture of benefit uptake across Northern Ireland. When combined with statistics from other sources like NISRA this becomes a powerful tool that helps target geographic and demographic areas at most need.

Promoting Age Awareness

With its partners Advice NI and Age NI, A2B has also delivered ‘Advantage’, a course that is already equipping its trainees with the skills and knowledge needed to meet the information and advice needs of their older clients. You can find out more about Advantage here: http://www.adviceni.net/publications/index.cfm/pckey/12/pub_key/144