For several months now, Marina Biller has been advising seniors who can no longer pay their bills as part of a new project. The cases you come across are different. One problem, of course, is the sharply increased costs. “Many people have a break in their working careers due to the change and therefore a small pension,” says the debt advisor. It happens that suddenly there is no longer enough money to live on. Especially when people are no longer mobile as they get older, it becomes difficult for them to get appropriate help. This is where “Social-Spatial Social Debt Advice for Seniors” comes in.
Funded by the BMUV, the pilot project was initiated at ten locations by Diakonie Deutschland. One of them is Ebersbach-Neugersdorf. Two new positions have been created at Diakonie Löbau-Zittau; debt advisor Marina Biller and administrative specialist Cornelia Müller have been helping since July. The project is primarily aimed at seniors who are no longer mobile. The counselor visits people in their homes. But younger people who have limited mobility can also receive help through the project.
Fallen for scammers
This form of advice obviously involves a lot of effort. And this is not only necessary because of the currently rising costs. “For example, we also have a gentleman in the advisory service who receives a very good pension, but has simply lost track of his finances and has therefore stopped paying his bills,” says Marina Biller. The help varies from case to case. Many citizens don’t even know what benefits they are entitled to. So we check whether, for example, housing benefit or basic security are an option and then apply for it if necessary.
Visits to the lawyer and court are also taken care of for those seeking advice if necessary. This can be the case, among other things, if the money is missing because you have fallen for fraudsters. Here, too, a particularly blatant case ended up on the debt advisor’s table. Supposed representatives had contacted an older couple. They knew that the couple had invested in a line of replica historical books. That in itself is quite questionable as an investment. “Books and facsimiles are not recommended as an investment – consumers should keep this in mind both when buying and reselling,” advises Rebecca Bergmann from the consumer advice center. According to the lawyer, they can only rarely be resold at the price at which they were purchased. »Really valuable facsimiles are not sold at the front door.«
In this specific case, the fraudsters’ trick was to pretend that there was an interested party who wanted to buy the entire series. The pensioners now only have to purchase the missing volumes and then they could resell the entire collection at a profit. The fraudsters also knew exactly which volumes were missing. Of course, the loan needed for the purchase was also offered and so five-figure amounts were quickly gone. Per volume, mind you. But the fraud didn’t end there. At some point the offer from the alleged buyer came to the house. According to the letter, he wanted to shell out almost 240,000 euros for the book series. Everything is fictional, of course. A deposit is due before the sale. So the elderly couple took out another loan. In the end they lost over 100,000 euros.
Free and confidential
Whether the couple will see the money again is anyone’s guess. It’s not very likely. “I advise children and grandchildren to regularly talk to their parents or grandparents about such scams,” says Marina Biller. The best antidote is to simply hang up on the phone and politely decline at the front door and not let anyone into the apartment. “I also advise those affected to change their own telephone number,” says the debt counselor. Because once you’ve taken a bite, the crooks will bother you again and again.
The socio-spatial social debt counseling for seniors is currently aimed at the area of the former Löbau-Zittau district. Advice is available from Ostritz to Oppach and Löbau to Oybin. Anyone who does not fall within the operational area and still calls will be referred to other advice centers. The project is initially financed until August 2025. However, attempts are already being made to extend it because the need is there. One thing is particularly important: no matter how the debt came about, you should seek help in good time and not push the problem away. It is clear that this is not easy. The feeling of shame is great. That’s why the advice is not only free, but of course also confidential.
First event in January
In addition to advice, regular events are also planned. The first will take place on January 23rd at the adult education center in Löbau. The topic is “Saving money in old age”. Various benefits such as housing benefit, basic security and care assistance are explained there and it is explained who is entitled and how to apply for them. There are also tips to protect yourself from fraud and rip-offs. Anyone who wants to take part should register in advance. Registration is possible until January 22nd. The contact details are in the information box.
Further events on the same topic are planned in Zittau, Ostritz, Seifhennersdorf and Oppach. Two events have already been scheduled for February 7th from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Spreequelle residential park in Ebersbach-Neugersdorf and on May 22nd from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Treff Nº 47 in Ebersbach-Neugersdorf.
2024-01-18 10:35:20
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