A2B Access to Benefits

Aims and Objectives

The vision for A2B is to empower and enable the older people of Northern Ireland to maximise their take-up of benefit entitlements. A2B will be developing online resources, available to older people, their carers, and Voluntary Sector and Governmental advisers to screen older people for benefit eligibility, prepare their claims applications, and submit their data for claims processing.

Outreach and training support will be designed to overcome the technological and other barriers to benefit take-up that many older people face. A2B will use outreach work to raise awareness of the web-based tools and will develop training related to older people to help them and others (advisers, carers, relatives and friends) use the new tools. A2B will look at ways of reaching rural and housebound older people who may not be able to access information about benefits. This new solution will work alongside existing telephone and face-to-face service delivery by government and voluntary organisations.