Charity in windfall to expand services

A PIONEERING Bridport organisation set up to help low income pensioners balance their books has been given a £254,000 grant to expand the service nationwide.

TaxHelp for Older People (TOP) which operates from the Pineapple Farm business estate at Salway Ash was awarded the money by the Big Lottery Fund this week.

Delighted officials say the massive windfall - to be paid over three years - will ensure the long term future of their new call centre and pave the way for more local jobs.

TOP is a charity providing free advice on personal tax to older people who could not otherwise afford professional help. Set up as a pilot project in West Dorset some five years ago the take up has been enormous.

Last year Director Paddy Millard and Operations Manager Sarah Ashby opened new headquarters at Pineapple Farm and launched the service across the UK.

Now the new lottery funding will enable TOP to recruit a further 250 chartered taxation advisors to cover the country.

Mrs Ashby said: "It is very exciting because we have been operating for the past four years on a small scale and have found that there is a huge demand for help with tax problems from relatively poor, retired people.

"It is good news for Bridport, too, because the charity started here and the national call centre is based at Pineapple Business Park, which is currently providing employment for three local people but this number will now increase.

"Now we will be able to expand and promote our service. Anyone of retirement age with a household income of under £15,000 from anywhere in the UK is eligible for our help with income tax, capital gains and Inheritance tax problems."

Sir Clive Booth, Chairman of the Big Lottery Fund said: "We are extremely pleased to be able to contribute to the work that tax volunteers does for these inneed members of the community as there is currently no other service of this kind available.

"This valuable tax advice will make a huge difference to the lives of lowincome older people as tax is a subject which can cause great stress and anxiety particularly when demands for taxback can represent a significant proportion of an individual's income."

* Since setting up TOP has established that thousands of pensioners have received incorrect tax bills.

The system works by people contacting the charity through their hotline number. Sometimes the query can be resolved straight away and in other cases they will arrange a facetoface interview with a volunteer adviser at a local day centre.

The service is available for anyone over 60 who has a total household income of less than £15,000 per year.

TaxHelp's hotline number is 0845 6013321.