A PROJECT has helped nearly 100 older people in Middlesbrough claim benefit cash.

Welfare rights officers Sahida Hussain and Cyril Eldridge visit elderly people in their homes to help then fill in claims forms for Income Support, now known as the Pension Credit.

In their first year, they helped nearly 100 people make successful claims averaging about £16 a week.

Older people have praised the project and the two workers for an excellent service.

Middlesbrough Council's senior welfare rights officer Sarah Collins said: "We identify possible claimants by using housing and council tax records.

"This means that in almost all the cases, we know the people are missing out on benefits before we contact them.

"This was our first year and we learned as we went along. We hope to help even more people next year."

The service scored a 98 per cent satisfaction rate from the people they contacted.

High numbers of people described the advice they received as very easy to understand.

They praised the two workers for being very knowledgeable.