Topical News and Forthcoming Events

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New Tradepersons Directory

February 2011
Services for older people in North Hertfordshire. WKH are pleased to sponsor the updating of the North Hertfordshire District Council’s Tradespersons...
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What the Emergency Budget means for us

July 2010
George Osborne, the coalition Government's Chancellor, has given his first Budget, with the focus on reducing the deficit through savings. We asked Paul...
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Mature job seekers to face ageism from recruiters

July 2010
As the Coalition’s plans to reform welfare-to-work benefits are set to increase the number of older workers looking for a job, Age UK is warning...
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Long Term Care Commission set up

July 2010
Source : Press Association Published on 21 July 2010 09:00 AM The Government has taken a step closer to establishing how long-term care can be funded...
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Capital Gains Tax: people in care homes have to pay CGT

June 2010
Hundreds of thousands of people in care homes who still own their former home could be forced pay "grossly unfair" capital gains tax. The Government is...
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Councils can prioritise their financial health over Care

June 2010
Councils across the country can put their financial health above the welfare of older people in their care, the European Court of Human Rights has said....
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Older savers hit hardest by Passbook accounts rates

June 2010
Interest rates paid by banks on passbook accounts are “derisory”, a financial expert has claimed. Pierre Williams, head of research at MoneyExpert.com,...
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Bank targets bonds at elderly amid Watchdog concerns

June 2010
The Financial Ombudsman Service has raised concerns about an unnamed high-street bank it says is targeting older customers with investment bonds. A Financial...
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Be prepared for changes due to the Coalition Budget on 22 June

May 2010
The Tory / Lib-Dem coalition’s first Budget is due to be delivered on 22nd June and seems poised to signify the degree of policy compromise that...
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Have your say!

May 2010
Get involved in older people's forums Those of us over 55 make up a fifth of the UK population. But do we in later life have a big enough say in...
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Age UK Launched

May 2010
Age Concern and Help the Aged have merged to form a new organisation - Age UK. The new brand was launched in early April and during May we can expect...
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Prepare for later life, with LaterLife Security

April 2010
Janette Day of WKH Chartered Accountants outlines the professional elder care services offered as ‘LaterLife Security’ - providing financial,...
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Are you one of the millions of pensioners paying too much tax?

March 2010
The answer? …speak to an accountant. If you think that you might be one of the millions of pensioners that have been over-charged up to £450...
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Elderly tax affairs 'too complex' – Need help?

March 2010
  The UK tax authority's system for dealing with older people's tax affairs is too complex and leads to many people overpaying tax, MPs have said....
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Need care funding? – no smooth path whilst debate rages

March 2010
  Electioneering, it seems, has become another barrier to those of us seeking a clear answer to the question, ‘What help can I expect to receive...
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Lasting Power of Attorney – Gillian pleased to have taken advice

February 2010
  Janette Day presents a case illustrating just how easy it would be to lose control over your finances and welfare if your health suddenly deteriorates....
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Avoid Court of Protection intervention – establish a Lasting Power of Attorney now

January 2010
Have you ever considered having your affairs managed by someone you trust?   What happens if you suddenly become unable to managing your own affairs?  ...
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Policy shift could signal end of compulsory retirement age

January 2010
Employees could be granted the right to continue working past the age of 65. Harriet Harman, the Equality Minister, has described the compulsory retirement...
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The end of Cheques?

December 2009
The Payment Council met this week to decide the future of cheques- and settled on 2018 as an appropriate date to complete the withdrawal of cheques....
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Pre-Budget Report: Impact for the Aged

December 2009
  The Chancellor had mixed news for hard-pressed pensioners last week. He confirmed an earlier pledge to raise the basic State pension by 2.5 per...
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Pre-Budget Report 2009: an outline summary

December 2009
Tax VAT is to revert to 17.5 per cent as of 31 December, but no other VAT measures are planned. Employer and employee national insurance contributions...
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Pre-Budget Report should signal annuities shake up

December 2009
Ahead of the Pre-Budget Report‚ Britain's foremost charity for the elderly - Age Concern - is calling for changes to tax rules and a radical...
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The Future of Care & Support - Have your say

December 2009
A major public debate on the future of care and support concluded in November 2009, and the Government has now announced its intention to introduce free...
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Pensioners encouraged to claim tax refunds

November 2009
  HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has launched a campaign aimed at pensioners who may have paid too much tax on the interest earned from savings accounts....
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Inheritance tax valuations may become stricter

November 2009
The rules on how estates are valued for inheritance tax could be tightened up. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is considering that people should arrange...
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Welsh elderly care funding report due

November 2009
Proposals are to be laid out by the Welsh Assembly Government on how care for elderly people could be financed. It comes amid warnings that the current...
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Scottish service to help elderly claim tax and benefits

November 2009
The Scottish Government is about to spend £700.000 on an advice service for the elderly who live in the most impoverished areas of Clackmannanshire,...
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Memory test 'spots pre-dementia'

November 2009
Memory and language tests can reliably reveal "hidden" early dementia, say UK experts. Most dementias are missed for years as the symptoms can be elusive...
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50+ ISAs – Are you aware of increased limit?

October 2009
Confusion reigns regarding increased ISA allowances for over 50s.  Only 5% of those who qualify are aware of increased limit that came into place...
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Tories plan to bring forward the increase to state pension age

October 2009
The Tories’ plan to bring forward the increase to the state pension age will be a big shock to many people planning their retirement especially...
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Home Protection Plan offers hope to thousands

October 2009
The Tories have pledged to end the predicament of thousands of elderly people forced to sell their homes to pay for their residential care. They propose...
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'Free personal care' for elderly

October 2009
Free personal care will be introduced so that the frailest people can be cared for in their own homes, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged. Under...
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Aging Strategy: Have you got one too?

September 2009
1.3 million people have either come out of retirement to go back to work or have failed to retire this year, so a key announcement in the Ageing Strategy...
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Lib Dems scrap elderly care spending plan.

August 2009
  A pledge to provide free care for the elderly has been scrapped by the Liberal Democrats as the party’s Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said...
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OAP's payout after bank's advice

August 2009
A 91-year-old retired farmer has won nearly £200,000 compensation after he was advised by his bank to invest his savings on the stock market. ...
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£20,000 fee could fund elderly care

July 2009
  Elderly people in England could be required to pay up to £20,000 to guarantee basic social care and support if they need it at the end of...
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Inflation for the elderly 'has dropped by 2.8%'

July 2009
The level of inflation faced by elderly citizens in the UK has fallen by as much as 2.8 per cent in recent times, it has been discovered. Data from the...
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Financial firms 'treated elderly as easy targets'

July 2009
The Financial Services Ombudsman is calling on financial institutions to review all investments sold to elderly people over the past few years. Joe Meade...
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Review could signal end of compulsory retirement age

July 2009
The government’s announcement that it is to bring forward a planned review of the default retirement age could mean that employers may lose the...
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Special Deal Bank Accounts & Insurance for Over-50s

June 2009
An increasing number of providers are offering banking and insurance products to the over-50s. However, just because it's a specialist deal, doesn't mean...
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10 ways to Save money – now!

June 2009
With returns on savings still very much in the doldrums, many over-50s have felt the impact of the recession deeply. But rather than dwell on any problems...
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Over 50s left in cold over debt

June 2009
An investigation by Citizens Advice has uncovered a need for greater availability of impartial and free financial advice on pensions and mortgages for...
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Over-50s face job losses and low retirement income

June 2009
New research from Help the Aged and Age Concern has shown the recession could hit workers aged over 50 with a double whammy of job losses and a reduction...
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Widows missing out on thousands in benefits

June 2009
People who lose their spouses and civil partners are missing out on the chance to claim thousands of pounds in benefits, an investigation by the BBC’s...
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Preferential over-50s savings accounts could be banned

May 2009
The government’s new Equality Bill could be bad news for holders of over-50s savings accounts. The bill, which had its second House of Commons reading...
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Principality launches 4% e-bond for over-50s

May 2009
Principality Building Society has launched a new two-year bond aimed at over -50s. The e-bond is available online to savers aged over-50, and pays interest...
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Who pays the bills?

May 2009
The Observer has reported that an estimated 146,000 older and physically disabled care-home residents in the UK pay their fees privately, 35% of the 418,000...
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New Over 50s life insurance launched by ASDA

May 2009
ASDA has introduced a new Over 50s Life Cover policy which promises that customers will only pay premiums until their chosen sum assured is reached. After...
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Over 65s most likely to be targeted by share fraudsters, warns FSA

May 2009
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has unveiled plans to help protect older people from financial scams by working in partnership with Age Concern...
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The Equality Bill - protection for older people

May 2009
The Equality Bill, published 27 April, aims to tackle age discrimination in the workplace and in the provision of goods and services. The latter would...
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Guidance for redundancy at 50+

May 2009
The recession is biting hard. Every working day 4,000 people are made redundant, 1,000 of them aged 50 or over. As jobs become scarce, redundancy can be...
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Unable to help fund parents in “retirement”?

March 2009
In research conducted by Norwich Union, fewer that one in ten (7.9 per cent) consumers questioned were actually helping to fund their parent's retirement....
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Warning for Post Office Savers

March 2009
Bank regulators are “still asleep at the wheel” according to consumer champion Dr Ros Altmann, who said they have failed to warn savers about risks affecting...
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Retirees facing high inflation rate

March 2009
Although reports abound in the media about falling interest rates, retirees are still seeing considerable increases in the cost of living. According to...
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Cash funds exposed in pensions

March 2009
An urgent investigation is being launched into cash funds used to shelter pension savers from the stock market. Money Mail reported 18 February that...
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Savers abandon ISAs as income plummets

August 2008
ISAs are one of the most popular form of savings in the UK, with 11.5 million people investing in the tax-free scheme, but as the Bank of England has...
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Admiral Nurses model of dementia care praised by Suchet

June 2008
Mr John Suchet, who presented the ITN news for nearly 30 years, took to the BBC Breakfast couch this week in a bid to highlight the plight facing the country's...
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Elderly spending £6bn in savings on care

June 2008
The elderly and their families spent £6bn of their own savings shoring up the state care system last year, a report by the Commission for Social Care Inspection...
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