Here is the link for our new Older People’s advice page: Older people – Shelter Cymru
There will also be a Welsh version of the page once our Welsh content is uploaded to our new website. Once this is done, I will send the link to that page aswell. In the meantime, the page can be viewed in Welsh (which also has a screen reader and audio option) via the use of our Accessibility Toolbar (Here is a link to an instructional guide: ReciteMe – A guide on how to use the accessibility toolbar on our website – Shelter Cymru).
Over the coming months, further pages will be linked to this page containing more financial support and advice. I have already shared some of this information with you previously, but we are moving away from the inclusion of PDFs on our website, so they will be republished as web pages. So please keep checking this new page for further updates.
The theme of the event is “On Your Doorstep”, looking at the support available within our local communities and the difference community-based services can make to older people and carers.
It should be a really engaging event, with the Older People’s Commissioner hosting a lived experience panel, contributions around dementia and carers, information about the support available across our communities, and a Dementia Choir performing.
Most importantly, we want older people and carers themselves to be part of the event, so it would be great to get the invitation out as widely as we can across Cardiff and the Vale.
“Turning Barry Blue presents the launch of a new Dementia Friendly Community Cafe at Barry Central Bowls Club, Gladstone Park Barry. Opening on Wednesday 7th October 2026 and then every Wednesday, from 10:30am to 12:30pm. All food and drink is free. Donations will be accepted towards the running costs. There will be a warm welcome for you all.”
For 25 years, Motion Control Dance has been built by this community, one class, one member, one family at a time, and now I am asking if you might help us carry it forward in a new way.
We are looking for people to join our Board of Trustees. This group helps guide the charity’s decisions and make sure everything we do stays true to why we started, giving everyone a chance to dance regardless of age, ability, or circumstance. It is a role that asks for just four meetings a year, but it makes a real difference, helping us plan for the future, strengthen how we work, and make sure Motion Control Dance is here for the next 25 years and beyond. We are also looking for a new Chairperson of the Board to help lead that work alongside the rest of the team and me.
You do not need any special dance or charity background to join us, just a belief in what movement can do for people and a willingness to bring your own experience and ideas to the table. Some of our best trustees over the years have come from completely different walks of life, and that is exactly what makes a board strong.
If you have ever watched your child grow in confidence in our classes, found your own sense of belonging on our dance floor, or simply believe in what we are building here in the Vale, I would love to hear from you. Please reply to this email, and we can have a chat about what being a trustee involves. We will put you on a governance training course so you fully understand your role and responsibilities of becoming a trustee for MCD.
Thank you for being part of this community; it means more than you know, and I hope some of you will consider taking this next step with us.
Helping low-income pensioners is a top priority. The last Labour Government halved pensioner poverty from its mid-1990s peak, and I am determined to build on that legacy. Everyone in society deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement, which is why I support maintaining the triple lock policy.
This means that the State Pension will continue to increase each year by the highest of inflation, average wage growth or 2.5%. I welcome that, thanks to the triple lock, the State Pension has increased by 4.1% from April 2025. It will increase by a further £575 this year and, by the end of this Parliament, annual spending on the State Pension is forecast to be £34 billion higher than in 2024-2025.
I share your concerns about pensioners who may not be receiving all the support they are entitled to. Many eligible people still miss out on Pension Credit, which provides vital extra help. That is why the UK Government launched the largest-ever Pension Credit take-up campaign shortly after taking office. These efforts have already resulted in 60,000 more awards, and they will continue over the coming months.
Importantly, receiving Pension Credit opens the door to a range of other financial assistance, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax support, help with NHS costs, assistance with fuel bills, and a free TV licence for those aged over 75. To guarantee even greater uptake in future, the administration of Pension Credit and pensioner Housing Benefit will be merged for new claimants.
To help with bills, all pensioners with incomes up to £35,000, as well as those on Pension Credit and income-related benefits, are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. The payment is made automatically, so no one needs to take any action to receive it. On top of this, the recent Budget included measures designed to address the cost of living. Because of these changes, every household will see cuts to their bills of around £150 per year. The Warm Home Discount also provides an additional £150 rebate off bills to eligible low-income households across Great Britain, and I am glad that this scheme has been expanded to reach 2.7 million extra households. This will make a real difference.
The Welsh Government is also working to deliver on this issue. The Warm Homes Nest scheme aims to reduce the number of low-income households living in cold, damp homes. This will decarbonise and insulate homes, lowering energy bills and moving people out of fuel poverty. I know Welsh Ministers have called on Ofgem to introduce a social tariff to protect vulnerable people. Free energy savings advice is also available to all Welsh households.
We must make sure people receive the support they deserve, and I welcome that the Welsh Claim What’s Yours campaign has helped more than 36,800 people claim £10.4 million in additional income, while a record number of people have been awarded Pension Credit thanks to the UK Government’s uptake campaign. This initiative is especially relevant as it will direct the most vulnerable pensioners towards other benefits – including Winter Fuel Payments.
Kind regards,
Anna Anna McMorrin MP Member of Parliament for Cardiff North | Aelod Seneddol Gogledd Caerdydd 2 Codas House, 52-60 Merthyr Road, Cardiff | Caerdydd, CF14 1DJ
Constituency Office | Swyddfa’r Etholaeth: 02920 624440 Parliamentary Office | Swyddfa Seneddol: 0207 219 4307
email | ebost: Anna.McMorrin.MP@Parliament.uk
Helping low-income pensioners is a top priority. The last Labour Government halved pensioner poverty from its mid-1990s peak, and I am determined to build on that legacy. Everyone in society deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement, which is why I support maintaining the triple lock policy.
This means that the State Pension will continue to increase each year by the highest of inflation, average wage growth or 2.5%. I welcome that, thanks to the triple lock, the State Pension has increased by 4.1% from April 2025. It will increase by a further £575 this year and, by the end of this Parliament, annual spending on the State Pension is forecast to be £34 billion higher than in 2024-2025.
I share your concerns about pensioners who may not be receiving all the support they are entitled to. Many eligible people still miss out on Pension Credit, which provides vital extra help. That is why the UK Government launched the largest-ever Pension Credit take-up campaign shortly after taking office. These efforts have already resulted in 60,000 more awards, and they will continue over the coming months.
Importantly, receiving Pension Credit opens the door to a range of other financial assistance, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax support, help with NHS costs, assistance with fuel bills, and a free TV licence for those aged over 75. To guarantee even greater uptake in future, the administration of Pension Credit and pensioner Housing Benefit will be merged for new claimants.
To help with bills, all pensioners with incomes up to £35,000, as well as those on Pension Credit and income-related benefits, are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. The payment is made automatically, so no one needs to take any action to receive it. On top of this, the recent Budget included measures designed to address the cost of living. Because of these changes, every household will see cuts to their bills of around £150 per year. The Warm Home Discount also provides an additional £150 rebate off bills to eligible low-income households across Great Britain, and I am glad that this scheme has been expanded to reach 2.7 million extra households. This will make a real difference.
The Welsh Government is also working to deliver on this issue. The Warm Homes Nest scheme aims to reduce the number of low-income households living in cold, damp homes. This will decarbonise and insulate homes, lowering energy bills and moving people out of fuel poverty. I know Welsh Ministers have called on Ofgem to introduce a social tariff to protect vulnerable people. Free energy savings advice is also available to all Welsh households.
We must make sure people receive the support they deserve, and I welcome that the Welsh Claim What’s Yours campaign has helped more than 36,800 people claim £10.4 million in additional income, while a record number of people have been awarded Pension Credit thanks to the UK Government’s uptake campaign. This initiative is especially relevant as it will direct the most vulnerable pensioners towards other benefits – including Winter
For 25 years, Motion Control Dance has been built by this community, one class, one member, one family at a time, and now I am asking if you might help us carry it forward in a new way.
We are looking for people to join our Board of Trustees. This group helps guide the charity’s decisions and make sure everything we do stays true to why we started, giving everyone a chance to dance regardless of age, ability, or circumstance. It is a role that asks for just four meetings a year, but it makes a real difference, helping us plan for the future, strengthen how we work, and make sure Motion Control Dance is here for the next 25 years and beyond. We are also looking for a new Chairperson of the Board to help lead that work alongside the rest of the team and me.
You do not need any special dance or charity background to join us, just a belief in what movement can do for people and a willingness to bring your own experience and ideas to the table. Some of our best trustees over the years have come from completely different walks of life, and that is exactly what makes a board strong.
If you have ever watched your child grow in confidence in our classes, found your own sense of belonging on our dance floor, or simply believe in what we are building here in the Vale, I would love to hear from you. Please reply to this email, and we can have a chat about what being a trustee involves. We will put you on a governance training course so you fully understand your role and responsibilities of becoming a trustee for MCD.
Thank you for being part of this community; it means more than you know, and I hope some of you will consider taking this next step with us.
The Strategic Programme for Mental Health is undertaking a national survey to better understand what helps people living with long-term mental health conditions to maintain and improve their physical health, the barriers they face, and what changes would make the greatest difference to health outcomes.
The findings will help inform a National Improvement Plan for Wales and ensure that the voices and experiences of people with lived experience are central to future improvement work.
The survey can be accessed here:
Arolwg Cenedlaethol Iechyd Corfforol a Chyflyrau Iechyd Meddwl Hirdymor – Fill in form
Please see July report attached from Kathy Lye Age Cymru email kathy.lye@agecymru.org.uk
Help us create an environment in which people fifty and over can fulfill their aims and objectives in life. Fight age discrimination and help preserve and promote the independence, dignity and positive image of people fifty and over and work to ensure that they have appropriate and adequate public care provision.
All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Martyn Jones.
