Category Archives: Caring Together

Lets Talk Transport

by
West Yorkshire's first ever all-electric buses - and where you can spot them in Leeds - Leeds Live

Caring Together, in partnership with Leeds Older Peoples Forum are pleased to be able to offer to members an invite to a Let’s Talk Transport Event

This will be held on Monday 28th November and will involve a Visit via electric bus to the White Rose Shopping Centre:

Pick up will be from Charing Cross in Woodhouse at approx… 10am, arriving at the White Rose at approx… 10.30am. The return journey will start at approx… 1.30pm.

The bus can accommodate one stationary wheelchair and multiple fold up chairs with passengers seated on seats.

There are spaces available for 9 more people. These are likely to be taken up very quickly so contact us soon if you are interested.

Visit to consist of:

  • Free lunch of Fish & Chips from Graveleys
  • William Merrit to provide mobility equipment to travel through the centre.
  • Visit Shopability store and White Rose representative to discuss facilities and available support whilst shopping at White Rose
  • Brandon to represent First Bus and say a few words around customer experience 
  • Return back to the bus with a demonstration of how an electric wheelchair or type 2 mobility scooter can safely board a bus.

NOTE: This is not a shopping trip and staff will be unavailable to attend on the day.

Caring Together Winter 2022 Newsletter

by

Our latest newsletter is here along with some inserts, lots of information and upcoming activities, events and outings

You can also see previous newsletters here

Issue-98-Winter-2022

Useful-numbers-2022

Winter-Wellbeing

Brittania-Tong-invite

Festive-Get-Together..2022

Winter-Warming-Soup-and-Roll-2023

Upcoming Cost of Living and Winter Fuel payments

by

• Winter fuel payments – to those who were at state pension age on 26th September 2022. This year it will include an extra £300, so the total payment will be either £500 or £600 per household. You will get this automatically into the same bank account as your pension and they should mostly be paid in November or December. If you are eligible and have not received the payment by 13th January 2023 you can contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre on 0800 731 0160

• The second instalment of the cost of living payment is due to be paid between now and 23rd November. This payment is £324 and is paid to people receiving Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support. It will be paid automatically. For people receiving only Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit the payment will be a bit later and will start from 23rd November.You must have been entitled to the benefit on at least one day in the qualifying period – 26th August -25th September 2022.

Light Night Leeds 2020

by

Thursday 13th and Friday 14th October

Back to the future as Light Night takes it to the next level: Light Night Leeds 2022

Light Night Leeds is the UK’s largest annual arts and light festival and returns on 13th and 14th October 2022.

For the past 17 years, over two incredible nights in October, some of Leeds’s most recognisable indoor and outdoor spaces have been transformed by spectacular artworks and captivating performances by local, national and international artists.

The streets of Leeds will be transformed into an incredible illuminated playground with more than 50 spectacular light installations, dynamic projections and interactive artworks.T

his year’s event will have the theme of Playful City, with some of Leeds’s most recognisable landmarks and locations hosting spellbinding installations aimed at encouraging visitors to engage and interact with the city in new, fun and innovative ways.

Highlights will include a thrilling, large scale projection on The Queen’s Hotel, which will take the people of Leeds on a futuristic, digital rollercoaster ride.

At Leeds Civic Hall, a homage to the classic video games of the 1980s will see visitors take control of a high tech augmented reality experience, played out across the historic building’s impressive façade.

At Leeds Art Gallery, local artists Akeelah Bertram and Adam Glatherine’s installation will turn sounds into a cascade of colour and light across a network of eight-foot tall pipes, while at the Leeds Playhouse, a giant, luminous slinky will tumble end over end from the rooftops around the city’s famous theatre.

The popular Spark drummers will also be back with a unique performance at Trinity Leeds, while the historic lifting tower on Wellington Place will be the backdrop for a projection that will give a modern twist to the tale of Rapunzel.

See https://www.lightnightleeds.co.uk/ for more details of when, where and what is going on and including details of where you can get a printed guide

Councillors Surgery at Caring Together today

by

Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse Councillors will be at Caring Together premises today between 5pm and 6pm for their monthly advice surgery.

This is open to all residents in the area and no appointment is needed so you can just call in if you would like to speak to your local councillor.

Caring Together – 127 Woodhouse Street (Charing Cross), Leeds, LS6 2PY

Meter readings prior to October price increase

by

Energy prices rise again on October 1st and while the government’s new price guarantee has limited that to some extent they will still be going up by over 25% for most people (unless you are on a fixed tarrif)

So, it is a good idea to give your energy company meter readings to make sure you are only being billed for what you use. If you can send in a reading for on or around 30th September this means your usage will be accurately recorded at the point of the price increase and should hopefully avoid disputes later on.

You don’t necessarily have to submit your reading on this day, most energy companies will let you send in a backdated reading for a few days after. When the prices went up in April many energy companies websites and phone lines crashed because of the volume of people trying to use them so a day or so after might be better.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/…/how-to-read-your…/

If you have a smart meter, and it is working, you don’t need to send readings in.

One week left to use old £20 and £50 notes

by

Following the introduction of polymer notes in 2020, the paper £20 and £50 notes will cease to be legal tender on 30th September and you will no longer be able to use them in shops etc.

So now seems like a good time to check down the back of the sofa or in the pockets of that coat you haven’t worn all summer and see if you still have any old notes.

Spend them before next Friday, swap them at a bank, or deposit them into your bank account.

If you find you still have some after Friday’s deadline you will not be able to spend them but you still have options:

Your bank may swap them for new notes or let you deposit them into your account.

Your local Post Office may let you deposit them into your bank account but you won’t be able to do a swap for new notes at the post office.

Many banks and Post Offices will be happy to do this but they are not obliged to, so if you are unable to swap or deposit them with your own bank, the Bank of England will swap the old notes for you.

You can do this in person at the Bank of England (BoE) counter at Threadneedle Street, London. You may need to provide two original identity (ID) documents or you can send them by post. You need to fill in a form and send copies of ID – see https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/exchanging-old-banknotes for the form and more details.

Or, an easier option, if your bank or post office says no, might be to ask a friend or family member to try their bank.

Cost of living payments

by

£150 cost of living payments for those receiving disability benefits are starting to be paid from this week and everyone who is eligible should have received it by beginning of October.

You are entitled to this payment if you receive one of the following benefits (note you must have been entitled to it on the qualifying date – 25th May 2022)

  • Attendance Allowance
  • Constant Attendance Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • War Pension Mobility Supplement

It will be paid into the same bank account as your benefit – you do not need to do anything it will be paid automatically.

Scam warning

There have been reports of people receiving text messages asking them to follow a link to claim this payment. This is a scam – you do not have to claim this payment it should be paid to you automatically.

Please be aware and don’t click any links on a message like this, or give any details out to anyone for payment of this, the DWP will not need to ask you for any of this as they will be paying you with the same details they use to pay your benefits.