Working in conjunction with West Sussex County Council, the various Citizens Advice Bureaux in West Sussex have set up a project which will benefit many older people living in the Horsham area.

The idea behind the scheme is to advise people over 60 about which benefits they are entitled to and which they may not be aware of.

It's rather sobering to think that some 1.8m pensioners are living in poverty in Britain. The CAB also estimate that two out of every five people entitled to Pension Credit do not actually claim it.

On top of this, extra support is often available for those with disabilities or those suffering from other health problems. This could be in the form of Attendance Allowance payments, help with rent and reductions in council tax.

The Horsham and District CAB have their own fully trained expert in this area, who will visit day centres, sheltered accommodation and social clubs to spread the word about the service and offer advice to individuals and couples.

However, this service is open to everyone and the Horsham and District CAB can be contacted directly to arrange a free and completely confidential benefits check.

I try to pay regular visits to Horsham's CAB to catch up on their news and to find out which services people from the Horsham area are particularly benefiting from.

A large number of local people who write to me or visit one of my advice surgeries have really benefited from the advice given to them by staff and fully trained CAB volunteers.

The CAB is a wonderful charitable organisation and it's there for anyone living in the Horsham district and who is experiencing problems in areas as wide ranging as debt, relationships and family, employment and self employment, housing and benefits.

I know that many local people will benefit from the Welfare Benefits Outreach Project.

The Horsham and District Citizens Advice Bureau can be found in Lower Tanbridge Way, Horsham, or contacted via their administration line on: 01403 261916.