Dear Islington Carer,
October's here, and there’s lots to get involved with locally! Join others for local walks, book for a trip to Kew Gardens and find out about Islington's Safe Haven's at the next Duke of Cambridge Carers for Carers Meet-up.
The latest printable Get Together magazine for October to December, is now available! Take a look to see what's on in local venues as well as more about free courses available through Adult Community Learning. There's also useful guidance about Staying Warm this Winter.
Know a neighbour or someone locally who's isolated? Why not drop a copy of Get Together round to them? Printed copies are also available in Islington's libraries, GP surgeries and community centres. Can't find it at one of these venues, please contact communications@ageukislington.org.uk
Getting out and about
Did you know that people aged 60 and over can access free or discounted travel through schemes including London’s 60+ Oyster photocard and the Freedom Pass for those of state pension age?
Disabled people of any eligible age may qualify for a Disabled Person’s Freedom Pass which from April 2027 in England can be used at any time of day. Explore Age UK’s guide to free bus passes and transport concessions to find out what’s available.
Do you know your state pension age? Could you be eligible for pension credit? Understanding your pension entitlements can help you plan for later life and make sure you’re not missing out. Check your State Pension age, explore MoneyHelper’s Pension Awareness information and see Age UK’s Pension Credit guidance. Pension Credit can also give you access to other financial support and discounts, yet an estimated £12.9 million goes unclaimed by Islington residents each year.
Helping you to manage your energy bills Islington Council's Income Maximisation team joined us for our September Let's Talk event, when we also heard from SHINE energy about the support they provide to help people with their energy bills.
Learning new digital skills can open up opportunities at any age. At 60, Mahmoud is exploring a new career direction after several months out of work. Age UK Islington connected him with opportunities to build his digital confidence and help him to develop skills in AI and digital marketing. Read Mahmoud’s story to discover how learning new skills has helped him feel more connected, confident and positive about the future.
Need support after 5pm? Try our new Carers Chatbot! Islington Carers Hub has a new digital helper which can answer carer-related questions 24/7. Whether you need some input to your caring siutation or want to know something about support that's available for Islington Carers, why not give it a try!
We also have a handy Carers Allowance Checker - answer a few simple questions and check your eligibility. if you've any feedback on using these tools, we'd love to hear from you:communications@ageukislington.org.uk.
Age-friendly Islington surveyIf you haven’t already completed the Age-friendly Islington survey, please take 10 minutes to share your views. It’s an important opportunity for residents aged 55+ to tell Islington Council what’s working well in the borough, what could be improved.
How would you describe 'help with caring to get a break'....?.....In the past, the Council and Islington Carers Hub have used ‘respite care’. This means support that gives a carer or the person they care for help with the caring in the form of a break. For example, this could be extra help at home or time away.
A lot of people have told us that they do not like ‘respite care’ as it is not a nice way to talk about people we care about! We would like to find better words together. We have already spoken to some carers, people who are cared for and people who work with carers. Some people say ‘short breaks’. Other people say ‘carers’ breaks’.
We would like to know what other people think. We need to use the same words so everyone knows what we are talking about. Please can you choose the term that is most meaningful for you in the quick poll below? |
