I never quite get over the magic of snowy weather. That feeling you get when you throw back the curtains and everything is carpeted in a thick layer of fresh snow.

The Walker family love it too – though I could have lived without the endless snowballs.

But cold weather can bring distress to many people who need additional support at this time of year.

A cold snap can confine older people or those with medical conditions to their homes and leave them feeling isolated.

Being neighbourly is even more important in these trying times. I popped round to check on a few people who live locally last week.

Aside from making sure they had heating and groceries, it struck me that there are lots of things we can do to help those more in need, regardless of the weather.

Here are a few tips on how to help people who might need it the most.

Beating the scammers

Con artists target older people disproportionately for ‘push payment’ fraud and its many variations. Take a little time to warn the people you know about how these scams work.

Remember the golden rule: no business should ever contact you and ask for personal details or passwords – and you should never, ever transfer money to an account because a stranger ‘in authority’ asks you to do so.

You can find out more about the main scams in this Mirror Online article.

A tax on loyalty

I’ve written a lot about ‘loyalty tax’ recently, where businesses like insurance companies or broadband providers increase your bills each month.

Again, the worst examples I’ve seen have all involved pensioners who’ve stayed loyal to businesses and ended up paying hundreds – and in some cases, thousands – more than their neighbours.

Talking about money and personal spending with friends and neighbours is never easy.

But why not frame the conversation around savings rather than asking about what people are personally paying, and offer to help?

Switching

Which brings us to switching. Grab your laptop or smartphone and start a conversation about saving cash on a range of bills.

Research has indicated that older people are more likely to be stuck on fixed tariff energy bills (the most expensive ones).

Winter and heating bills are one of the leading concerns expressed by older people, so now is a good time to see if you can help get a better deal for an older friend or relative.

Emergencies

Older people, or those dealing with a significant medical condition, should have people from the council or health services visiting their properties.

Where you can, why not introduce yourself and find out what they suggest should there be an emergency? It’s not always practical for people to use or have access to a mobile phone, but they may have alarms or other ways to request help in emergencies.

Some support services recommend key drop boxes so carers can access the property regularly or in the eventuality there’s a problem.

Having access to a code to the key box is more practical than having a set of keys to the property as you can pass on the code to emergency services if you’re not at home (once you’ve confirmed their identity).  

Complaints

We Brits aren’t that big on complaining, surprisingly. In fact, young our old, I’m constantly being told that people don’t want to make a fuss, or don’t think their problem has reached ‘complaint level’.

However, when you get talking to a friend or neighbour, it’s usually clear that there are some niggles that are causing a problem – or might actually be having a very real impact on their lives.

So why not help them make a complaint? It’s dead easy and it can provide some very real support to those who need it. The same goes for making claims on things like PPI or requests for refunds.

Taking a little time to help people at this time of year is much easier than you might think. Together, we can make society a little better, a step at a time. So speak up and seek out those who might be struggling. You won’t regret it.

Resolver can help you sort out complaints about pretty much anything – so why not help a friend or relative sort out a problem, get a refund or make a claim. Check out  www.resolver.co.uk  and share your experiences at  [email protected]

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