THANET OVER FIFTIES FORUM (TOFFs) NEWSLETTER: December 2020

Dear TOFFs member, article but be aware that there might be links on them that may lead you in the wrong direction. If This has been an extraordinary year; all of our lives you get a phone call from an unknown number don’t have been affected in the most dramatic ways by be frightened to ask for their details, where they’re the coronavirus pandemic. I have been fortunate based and tell them you will ring back.” enough to have been kept busy with the Over Fifties Forums and held our first online forum meeting with If you ring back: two great keynote speakers. • Don’t ring the number you are given nor the one that may be showing on your phone. Our first speaker was Paul Rutterford who has been • If the caller says they are from your bank, use a volunteer presenter at Thanet’s Academy FM for the telephone number on the back of your debit/ more than 8 years. Paul is a good TOFFS ally, credit card. interviewing us and promoting the forum on his • Try ringing a friend before using the phone for Saturday morning show. the call to the alleged scammer - they may not have rung off. Paul said: “What I soon began to realise during the • If possible use a different phone. first lockdown, from hearing about a host of good • If the caller says they are from the Police you news stories, was that the people of Thanet very can ring 101 and ask to speak to the officer by quickly stepped up to volunteer and work together”. name. This will enable you to do a check. Here are some of the stories: • Please do not give out items such as PIN numbers over the phone – banks and other • Bee Bishop, of Bee’s BookShare, could not hold institutions will not request them. her book groups during the lockdown so brought her own delivery service to people. https:// Scams and frauds have always been there. What is beesbookshare.co.uk/about/ new is the use of the internet and telephone systems. But why are older people such a target? • Gordon Road Area Street Scheme (GRASS), Well, 40 - 50 years ago, there were no credit or Cliftonville, was awarded a £22,000 grant for debit cards, many people rented their grocery vouchers which they distributed to accommodation, there was no internet, many had to residents. GRASS was also granted the asset rely upon State Pension when retired and, if you of the Oval Bandstand and Lawns, taking over had a bank account, reliance was placed upon the ownership from Council and Bank Manager for everything. We have had to learn securing its future. https://grasscliftonville.org/ the complexities of the internet later in life. We were encouraged to have a company or private pension • Residents came together to improve the and to own our own homes and, as a result, we coastline. Rise up and Clean involved clearing have more disposable income. Also, there is easier the litter at Main Sands. access to loans and overdrafts today.

• Our Kitchen on the , which What scams are there? To be honest there are too provides food parcels and food for many of the many to list. Basically, if there is a problem in the local food banks, moved into its new shop on world, someone will try to make money out of it. The Margate High Street, providing a hub for message is be on your guard. families. https://ourkitchenontheisleofthanet.org.uk/ Help is available from: Our second speaker was Stephen Kelly, Prevent & Protect Fraud Officer from Police. Steve said: Kent Police: “At present no one knows the true cost of fraud with www.kent.police.uk/fraud one in three crimes being fraud and only 5% of scams being reported. Today, criminals are trained Your own bank’s website in the ‘gift of the gab’. They rely upon pressure and making you panic into rash decisions. They get at Action Fraud: https:// you by your landline, your computer, your mobile www.actionfraud.police.uk/ phone and even the front door. They are wise in The telephone number on the their use of the internet and some programs even back of your credit or debit allow them to choose the STD code and number card. being shown. Websites may look like the genuine

How are you Clive also raised this at the Thanet Health and accessing your GP Wellbeing Partnership meeting and the during Covid-19? Chairperson said they would take it back to the digital team.

Thanet Over Fifties Forum FREE FINANCIAL would like to hear from you WORKSHOPS as concerns have been raised regarding some of Supporting people through the challenges people are facing, during Covid-19, challenging times in accessing their GP surgery. The Money Charity is a not-for- PLEASE TELL US: profit organisation that has 1. Have you used GP services during Covid-19? been helping people for more than 25 years and is 2. How did you access your GP: funding three financial workshops for Over Fifties i) By telephone? Forum members. For more information, visit ii) Through the GP’s website ‘eConsult’? https://themoneycharity.org.uk/ 3. Were you offered a telephone appointment? 4. Were you offered a video call? The FREE FINANCIAL WORKSHOPS 5. Were you offered a face to face appointment? Tues 12th Jan 2021, 11am: 6. Do you use your GPs online consultation Your Money during provider ‘eConsult’? Challenging Times - this workshop has been Did you know there is the NHS app? (not the designed to help people Covid-19 app) It allows you to: reassess their financial • View your health records and current and past situation in light of the medicines. pandemic. Tips will be • Order repeat prescriptions, see your available shared on budgeting, how to medicines and choose a pharmacy for your make your money work harder and save on prescriptions to be sent to. everyday expenditure and where to go for further • Get health advice. information and support. • Book GP appointments (not all GP surgeries are connected to this app). Tues 19th Jan 2021, 11am: Redundancy & Your Money - redundancy may be a shock or it may be Please let us know how you are getting on as it planned, but whatever the circumstances, there will be good to hear from you. are important decisions to be made. This workshop Email [email protected] or phone Pauline at will discuss the questions people need to ask Kent Coast Volunteering on 07812 487971. themselves before making these decisions and will look at the different options. It will also help people Pauline said: “I regularly attend the Thanet Health think about budgeting and managing any debt they Reference Group (HRG) meetings and I raised my may have. Details of organisations offering support concerns with them and asked for them to be will also be shared. cascaded back to Kent and Medway Clinical

Commissioning Group (CCG).” Tues 26th Jan 2021, 11am: Mind Your Money - Clive Hart, Associate Lay Member - Patient & this workshop explores the importance of building Public Engagement (Thanet), NHS Kent & Medway financial resilience and the link between money CCG, wrote to Cathy Finnis, Lay Member for and mental wellbeing. It also encourages people to Patient and Public Engagement for the Kent and think about their relationship with money and how, Medway Clinical Commissioning Group. if necessary, they can begin to challenge this.

Clive wrote: “Our group of PPG Chairs from across The workshops will take place via Zoom with a Thanet are concerned re the eConsult system of max. of 20 people per session as this allows time communication with GP's in this district. They for Q&A’s. Places will need to be booked. unanimously agree it is a far too long winded and Attendees will receive a free copy of The Money non-user-friendly system and would really like Charity’s latest Money Manual; a handy guide to practices to look at other possible forms making the most of your money. If you would like of communication if possible. From our to attend but are not confident using Zoom, we are discussions it was clear that virtually more than happy to help you. Please ring Pauline everyone gave up after starting the process and on 07817 487971. even the most tech literate struggled to complete the process or, again, simply gave up later…”. Letter from when lockdown came and were not confident Kent Forums Manager enough to continue learning by experimenting. By Hi, my name is Adam, and I am the far the smallest group, only three to four members, Forums Manager at Engaging Kent. told Janet that it would be too expensive for them. I joined in May 2020 and it was very strange starting a new role in TOFFS should point out that the survey followed lockdown and meeting everyone all the latest rules on privacy and data collection. remotely. My background is in local government So, what can we learn from this survey of and welfare delivery. members? The majority of our members are I manage a team that supports nine Older People’s happily using the internet. The biggest reason for Forums in Kent and assists additional forums: members not being on the internet is they do not want to be, and we will continue to reach out • Mental Health User Voice through the postal service to these members. • Local Mental Health Network However, for members who have clearly indicated • Physical Disability Forum that they would like to use the internet, we now • Foodbanks Forum have a list of their difficulties and will be looking into ideas to help them get online… We have recently started a BAME/Health Inequalities working group. My work also includes Pauline said: “Janet carried out sterling efforts liaising with the NHS Clinical Commissioning whilst undertaking this project. She phoned over Group and Kent County Council, and networking 100 members who were not using email/internet, with voluntary and community organisations. approximately 25% of TOFFS’ total membership. She not only encouraged them to give it a try, but I’m keen to make sure that our Forums are able to also answered lots of questions and provided amplify the voice of every resident in Kent in order reassurance to many. The success of Janet’s to make significant and permanent positive brilliant engagement resulted in adding the email changes to the support that is available to people. addresses of nearly a third of those contacted to our database. She listened to lots of stories If you’d like to contact me please do, either by including one member who amusingly commented passing a message on via Pauline or at that “at 97 I think I’ve left it a bit late for this”! [email protected] Silver Sunday is a national day Kind regards, Adam Littlefield, celebrating the contribution that Forums Manager older people make to our communities. Every year Kent Survey about internet usage Coast Volunteering puts on an amongst members by TOFFS event to mark the day. While we team member, Janet Hope couldn’t host a physical event Janet did a survey of members to this year, we hosted a day of see who was on the internet and exciting online who wasn’t. She’s reported that taster sessions. The day started with she found it most rewarding to a lively talk from author ring members and have a chat. Jane Wenham-Jones. This was The point of the survey was to establish which of followed by natural lift face and hand our members are already using the internet and to and arm massage demonstrations collate the opinions of our members not on the that people can practice at home. Next up was a internet. talk from the Turner Contemporary about the work of the gallery with opportunity for participants to Janet found that most members who don’t use the join in a fun art activity. Ian Dickie of The Margate internet were adamant that it was not for them. Museum shared his extensive knowledge of Janet reported a high level of our Over Fifties who Margate history in the next session. There was said things like: “I would hate to have that” and also a Tai Chi session and the day finished with a “I’ve never wanted to have it, my family have singalong to popular songs across the decades offered, but I told them no thank you”. Janet with Hollie, a local performer. It was a great day! reassured these members that we would continue to send them the newsletter by post. The next size Join ‘Your Time’ group were people who would like the internet and online social groups for older people would be willing to learn how to use it if the information were easy and freely accessible. There Wednesdays 1pm-3pm & Thursdays 10am-12pm was also a small group Janet spoke to who sadly Contact Heather 07816406379 or email were just getting familiar with their tablet or PC [email protected] Recently, Martin Lewis asked his viewers: “Are you one of 10,000s of women missing out on £1000s of state pension?” Married women who hit state pension age before April 2016 are a key group who may be owed, but others – including widows, divorcees and the over- 80s, whether married or not – should also check.

Take a look at the five below points and use the help number 1. If you're a married woman who hit state pension age before April 2016 and your state pension is less than FREE ONLINE TICKET TO A LIVE STREAMING OF ‘THAT’LL BE THE DAY’ ON TUESDAY 60% of your husband's, check now. TH DECEMBER 8 AT 7:00PM 2. If you're a widow whose pension wasn't increased when your husband died, or who may have been Through a valuable partnership with the underpaid while your husband was still alive, check Ambassador Theatre Group, Independent Age is now. sharing a fantastic opportunity, offering older people a FREE ONLINE TICKET to a live streaming of 3. If you're a woman aged 80+ and get a state pension ‘That’ll Be The Day’. of less than £80.45/wk, check now – whether you're married, widowed, divorced or single. You will need to have a device that allows you to

4. If you're a divorced woman and should have connect to the internet to stream the show and an benefited from your ex-husband's national insurance email address to receive your ticket. record, check now. Tickets will be shared on a first-come, first-served 5. If you're the heir of a woman who was underpaid basis. Please contact Pauline on 07812 487971 or state pension while alive and has since died, check email [email protected] if you’d like to see the show. now. www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/married- women-missing-state-pension-boost/ Making the Over Fifties Forum newsletter more accessible for people To check if you have been underpaid and are owed, contact the government Pension Service We want to help people who are partially sighted or and ask about your situation. Call 0800 731 0469 blind to enjoy the information in our Over Fifties or see other contact details at www.gov.uk/ Forum newsletters. This could be through receiving contact-pension-service the newsletter in a larger font or perhaps even having someone read the newsletter to you over the Are you eligible for the Warm telephone. Home Discount? To qualify To find out more please get in you will need to be in receipt of touch by emailing [email protected] the Guarantee Credit element of or calling 07812 487971. Pension Credit or on a low income. Advice came from Kent Association Are you eligible for Pension for the Blind. KAB also offer Credit? To find out, visit assistive technology support. To www.gov.uk/pension-credit- learn more visit https://www.kab.org.uk/get-support/ calculator services/assistive-technology/

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