FINANCE

VITAL THINGS YOU NEED TO DO NOW TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR RETIREMENT

While it may still seem as if it’s very far away, retirement has a habit of creeping up on people, especially when it comes to making sure you have enough money to live the kind of life you want. The good news is you can take action now to secure your finances for when you retire. Keep reading to find out more.

Consider your current situation

Before you begin looking to the future and planning your finances for your retirement it’s vital that you consider your current situation. In particular, this means assessing any significant debts that you need to pay off and taking action to complete this.

Additionally, now is the best time to consider any significant assets that you may have and whether you will hold on to them or sell them to release capital that can be used elsewhere. Property is often one of the most popular assets to sell to cover retirement, especially if you find that the market is favorable.

Plan when you will retire

Deciding when to retire is less about hitting the right age, and more about doing it when your finances allow. After all, there is no point working after 50 if you don’t want or have to!

Also by settling on an age at which to retire you will have a time scale on which to work. This means that you can plan out how you

Wide range of active-user products from leading manufacturers in the industry, including Sunrise Medical, Invacare, Rehasense and Electric Mobility.

Off -road powerchairs or tribikes which attach to just about any active wheelchair. The latest innovative range of lightweight manual wheelchairs are available to try in-store.

FREE suitability assessment done at home or in-store

FULL BACKUP SERVICE IN OUR MODERN WORKSHOP TO SET UP AND REPAIR JUST ABOUT ANY ITEM OF MOBILITY EQUIPMENT.

Based at:

WROUGHTON

6 Devizes Road, Wroughton SN4 0RZ 01793 815318

garyoptind@mail.com

will save, manage and invest your money in the meantime to give you the best chance of achieving your financial goals.

Explore ways of growing your money

In essence, providing for your retirement financially is all about taking the money that you have now and making it work as hard as possible so you have as much as possible for when you are no longer working.

The good news is that there are plenty of options to consider for this purpose. The first is to rely on the state pension, which as long as you have completed the required amount of national insurance payments you will be able to claim.

However, most people want to be able to access additional streams of income, as the state pension isn’t too generous. In particular, investing in a private pension scheme or independently investing your money in something like Forex Trading can be the best way to maximize your returns. Although, whichever type of investment you choose, it’s vital that you consider the potential for risk as well as profit before making your choice.

Consult a professional

Last of all, do remember that there are people whose whole professional career is based around providing advice on this issue. Indeed, it makes excellent sense to consult with one before you make any decisions.

Be sure to find a financial advisor that is independent though, because if they are getting any commission or fee from recommending you to a certain product or company, their opinions will be far from objective, and this means your future retirement finances could be at risk.

The Mobility Store’s new division Optimised independence being opened by Paralympians Louise Hunt & Chris Skelley

On show in the new bespoke showroom at Wroughton is a wide range of active-user products from leading manufacturers in the industry, including Sunrise Medical, Invacare, Rehasense and Electric Mobility.

For the more adventurous off-road user to try is the powerful Optimus, a new off-road powerchair and all new easy-fit PAWs tribike which attaches to just about any wheelchair. The more pedestrianised user will find a host of different add on power options, for example the E-motion wheels from Invacare are particularly impressive.

The active wheelchair user can try the latest innovative range of lightweight manual wheelchairs with a full range of the necessary accessories, cushions, and attachments.

Most of the larger items are prescriptive which usually means a full assessment of the client to ensure a perfect fit and user experience. The friendly staff are fully trained and have the manufacturers’ software to prescribe the optimised set-up for the equipment. Assessments can be done at home or in-store.

Back-up is important for any mechanical equipment, but it is essential for full-time wheelchair and powerchair users. Just a short distance from the Wroughton store is their modern workshop, equipped with all the test equipment and specialised tools to set up and repair just about any item of mobility equipment.

OPTIMISED INDEPENDENCE AT

THE MOBILITY STORE

Gold medal-winning Paralympian Chris Skelley and wheelchair tennis pro Louise Hunt cut the ribbon for the new area and chatted with staff about their Tokyo 2020 experiences.

The final phase of work at The Mobility Store in Wroughton, has now completed and the new division called Optimised Independence opened on the 5th of October.

MAKE LIFE EASIER

• Large range of Mobility Aids • PPE • Hire services • Wheelchairs • Stairlifts

Our stores always welcome visits for consultations regarding advice on choosing the right mobility equipment or service.

Rise and recline furniture Adjustable beds

Mobility scooters Mobility scooter repairs

FREE HEARING HEALTH CHECK

Shoes and slipper Footcare appointments

FREE LEVEL ACCESS PARKING AT ALL STORES www.thehearingandmobilitystore.co.uk THE MOBILITY STORE SWINDON

7 Clive Parade Cricklade Road, Swindon SN2 1AJ 01793 701313

swindon@thehearingandmobilitystore.co.uk

THE MOBILITY STORE MARBOROUGH

56 George Lane, Marlborough SN8 4BY 01672 511550

wiltshiremobility@mail.com

THE MOBILITY STORE WROUGHTON

6 Devizes Road Wroughton SN4 0RZ 01793 815083

wroughtonmobility@mail.com

THE MOBILITY STORE BOURTON ON THE WATER

Lansdowne Bourton on the Water GL54 2AR 01451 810088

bourtonmobility@mail.com

Committed to fighting FRAUDLENT ACTIVITY

Council Tax Benefit

Council tax bills are based on the assumption that two adults occupy the property as their main home. If it’s occupied by only one adult, and the property is their main home, the bill is reduced by a single person’s discount of 25%. In addition, there are certain groups of people who we do not count for Council Tax purposes when counting the number of adults in the household. These groups are known as ‘disregarded persons’. If there is an adult from one of these groups living in your property, they may not be counted for Council Tax purposes and you may be entitled to a discount. Examples of disregarded persons are: • people on some apprentice schemes • 18 and 19-year-olds in full-time education • full-time college and university students • student nurses • foreign language assistants registered with the British Council • people with a severe mental impairment • live-in carers who look after someone who isn’t their partner, spouse or child • diplomats Fraud within the Council Tax system costs each lawful Council tax payer. Fraud can get into the system a number of ways but the most common issues are: • Making a false statement at the outset, i.e. misleading the Council into accepting information which at the time was not true. • Failure to report relevant changes to circumstances to the Council Tax service, for example; someone over 18 has moved into your address and you receive a Single person’s discount. If you suspect that someone may be defrauding the Council Tax system in any way you can help by reporting you concern’s in confidence to:

CALL 0118 937 2143 Email antifraud@reading.gov.uk Report via web pages http://www.reading.gov.uk/ internalaudit

Who is eligible for a blue badge?

If you are disabled, you may be able to park in restricted areas under the blue badge scheme. The scheme is for drivers and passengers.

Who can get a blue badge?

Some people can get a blue badge automatically. This is called being eligible without further assessment. You fit into this group if one or more of the following applies to you: • you are registered as blind/severely sight impaired • you receive the War Pensioners’

Mobility Supplement • you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability

Living Allowance (DLA) • you receive the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and you scored at least 8 points in relation to the ‘moving around’ activity in the PIP assessment, or least 12 points in the mobility activity for planning and following journeys • you have been awarded a lump sum benefit from the Armed Forces

Compensation scheme (tariffs 1 to 8).

You have also been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which means you can’t walk or find walking very difficult • you receive a government grant towards your own vehicle. If you were on higher rate mobility component of DLA, but you had to claim PIP instead and didn’t get enough points to be eligible for a blue badge, you can continue to use your badge until it expires. If none of these apply to you, you may still be eligible. This is called being eligible subject to further assessment, and will apply to you if you meet one of these criteria: • you have a permanent or substantial disability which means you can’t walk or find walking very difficult • you are a driver and have severe upper limb disabilities • as a result of a mental disorder you are unable to follow the route of a familiar journey without the assistance

of another person. Anyone aged over two years can be eligible under this condition, including people over 65. • you are applying on behalf of a child under three with a medical condition that requires them to be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment or transporting bulky medical equipment. If you have any queries about whether you’re eligible for a blue badge, you can contact the national blue badge helpline on 0844 463 0215.

How are you assessed?

If you are eligible subject to further assessment, your local authority will look at the evidence of your disability to decide whether you can have a blue badge. You may need to have an independent mobility assessment. If you have applied for or held a blue badge previously, your GP may have carried this out. Assessments may now be carried out by an independent mobility assessor. This is usually a medical professional such as an occupational therapist or physiotherapist, who has never treated you before. If your local authority wants you to have a mobility assessment, it will refer you to the assessor. You will not be charged for the assessment. You may not be required to undergo an assessment if your council says it is very obvious that you are eligible or ineligible.

Blue Badge (disabled parking permits) Fraud:

Disabled Parking Permits or Blue Badges are issued by your Local Authority to persons with a genuine need to access facilities and park within easy reach of these. However there are some people who are prepared to misuse or fraudulently acquire these badges. The Investigation Team are committed to fighting fraudulent activity but need your help to do so! If you suspect someone of committing Blue Badge fraud please contact us in confidence.

CALL 0118 937 2143 Email antifraud@reading.gov.uk Report via web pages http://www.reading.gov.uk/fraud

FROM START TO FINISH WE WILL BE THERE EVERY STEP

FIREPLACE SOLUTION LOGO 2.pdf 1 10/01/2018 10:56

BEAUTIFUL FIREPLACES & STOVES

Fireplaces expertly installed. On display we have a huge range of electric fires, gas fires, solid fuel fires, hole-in-

Warm smiles guaranteed! the-wall fires, plus multi-fuel and wood burning stoves. Then there’s our range of stunning fireplaces, again traditional and modern, with stone, marble, or wooden surrounds. You can even have a bespoke fireplace, specially created to suit your living room and décor, and to suit every pocket there are models from £300 to £3000.

What’s more we have expert fitters on tap (including Gas Safety Technicians) that will remove your existing fireplace, make good any work that needs doing and install your new fireplace. At Fireplace Solutions we offer the full package.

And because we are a family company with over 14 years experience, we can give you all the advice and tips on the type of fire and installation that you need. It’s the kind of valuable support and advice you won’t get if you buy online or from most large retail stores. That’s because we specialise in fires and fireplaces. (We can advise you on your central heating requirements too).

Visit our showroom for some amazing deals!

Visit our showroom for some amazing deals!

• Stone, marble & wood surrounds

• Central heating surveying, maintenance

OPEN: MON-FRI, 9am - 5pm, SAT 10am - 4pm FREE PARKING GORSE HILL SN2 8AF TEL: 01793 640485 www.fireplacesolutions.co.uk