FOR YOUR BENEFIT WORKS FOR COLERAINE!

15 Sep 2009

Northern Ireland Electricity and Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) in Coleraine this week celebrated a one year milestone in the ‘For Your Benefit’ programme. ‘For Your Benefit’ is a valuable service which offers people across Northern Ireland the chance to have a free, confidential benefit check done to ensure they are receiving all of the benefits they are entitled to. The scheme also provides energy efficiency advice to help customers reduce their energy usage.

Since summer 2008, over 5500 benefit entitlement checks have been completed and according to Jenny Boyd, NIE Energy, the scheme has made a real difference for many families and individuals across Northern Ireland. Jenny says, “We are working with a range of partners to help target as many of our customers as possible with this service. Last year our partners helped to identify over £4.5million of additional benefits and over 2000 people saw their benefits rise by an average of £39 per week. This extra money can make a significant contribution to a household’s income, and the energy efficiency checks that are being carried out in tandem have helped pinpoint ways that further savings can be made in terms of household energy bills.”

‘For Your Benefit’ is delivered in partnership with a range of organisations across Northern Ireland including, Advice NI, Barnardos, EAGA, Extra Care, RNIB, Citizens Advice and the NI Energy Agency.

Hugh Graham of RNIB says the first year results are very encouraging. “"The benefits system can be a real jungle, especially if poor sight makes it difficult or impossible to read leaflets and fill in forms. We are delighted that For Your Benefit has enabled us to reach so many people and give them a full benefit check. The extra income, which can result for people with sight loss and their families, can lead to a real increase in quality of life. Most of our checks are carried out over the telephone through a very straightforward process but we are also delighted to welcome people in to our centre in Coleraine, where they can learn about our other services at the same time as getting a benefits check. Home visits can also be considered for clients with major mobility challenges."

For Your Benefit will run until 2010 and NIE hopes the scheme will be able to help around 12,000 people across Northern Ireland .

To find out more about ‘For Your Benefit’ visit www.nie-yourenergy.co.uk and click on Free Benefit Entitlement Check.

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