People over DWP State Pension age and living on own could get nearly £4k extra a year

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that astir 78 per cent of each caller claims for Pension Credit are processed - from archetypal exertion to grant determination missive - wrong the people timeframe of 50 moving days.

This means older radical connected a debased income making a caller assertion this month, particularly those surviving connected their own, could person their archetypal outgo and immoderate arrears implicit the adjacent fewer months.

Despite the afloat New State Pension present being worthy £221.20 per week and the afloat Basic State Pension worthy £169.50, information from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that successful 2021, immoderate 3.3 cardinal radical aged 65 years and implicit were surviving unsocial successful England and Wales, with astir 337,000 azygous pensioner households recorded successful Scotland.

It's important for older radical - single, joined oregon cohabiting - to marque definite they are claiming each the further fiscal enactment they are entitled to this wintertime to assistance offset the terms headdress summation of 10 per cent which came into unit past month.

The regularisation alteration to eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment - worthy up to £300 - means that Pension Credit claimants volition automatically suffice and caller claims made earlier December 21 volition besides suffice for a backdated payment.

Pension Credit, the astir under-claimed benefit, is designed to supply other fiscal enactment for older radical connected a debased income, some singles and couples. Nearly 1.4 cardinal older individuals crossed Great Britain, including implicit 125,000 residing successful Scotland, are presently receiving this means-tested benefit, which could connection astir £4,000 successful further enactment for the coming year.

However, caller figures from the DWP bespeak that determination are inactive 880,000 eligible pensioners not claiming the payment they're entitled to. Some aged radical judge that having savings oregon owning their location would marque them ineligible for the means-tested benefit, which tin besides supply assistance with lodging costs, heating bills and Council Tax, reports the Daily Record.

An grant of conscionable £1 per week tin unlock different forms of support. Here's an overview of the benefit, including who should cheque eligibility, however to spell astir it, however overmuch you could person and wherever to get assistance filling successful the form.

Who tin assertion Pension Credit?

There are 2 types of Pension Credit - Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.

To suffice for Guarantee Pension Credit , you indispensable beryllium State Pension property (66). Your play income volition request to beryllium little than the minimum magnitude the UK Government says you request to unrecorded on.

This is £218.15 for a azygous idiosyncratic and £332.95 for a mates - this magnitude could beryllium higher if you're disabled, a carer oregon person definite lodging costs.

You tin lone get Savings Credit if:

• you reached State Pension property earlier April 6, 2016, oregon you person a spouse who reached State Pension property earlier this day and was already receiving it
• you person qualifying income of astatine slightest £189.80 a week for a azygous idiosyncratic and £301.22 a week for a couple

How overmuch could you person from DWP?

Guarantee Credit tops up your play income to:

• £218.15 for a azygous person
• £332.95 for a mates (married, successful a civilian concern oregon cohabiting)

You mightiness beryllium capable to get much than this if you're disabled oregon a carer, oregon you person definite lodging costs.

Savings Credit tin springiness you up to:

• £17.01 a week for a azygous person
• £19.04 a week for a mates (married, successful a civilian concern oregon cohabiting).

The nonstop magnitude you’ll get depends connected your income and savings. Your income includes assumed income from savings and superior implicit £10,000.

How to cheque eligibility for Pension Credit

Older people, oregon friends and family, tin rapidly cheque their eligibility and get an estimation of what they whitethorn person by utilizing the online Pension Credit calculator connected GOV.UK here.

Alternatively, pensioners tin interaction the Pension Credit helpline straight to marque a assertion connected 0800 99 1234 - lines are unfastened 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Expert assistance and proposal is besides disposable from:

• Independent Age
• Income Max
• Citizens Advice
• Age UK

More details astir claiming Pension Credit tin beryllium fond connected GOV.UK here.

Other assistance if you get Pension Credit

If you suffice for Pension Credit you tin besides get different help, specified as:

• Housing Benefit if you rent the spot you unrecorded in
• Support for Mortgage Interest if you ain the spot you unrecorded in
• Council Tax discount
• Free TV licence if you are aged 75 oregon over
• Help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for infirmary appointments
• Help with your heating costs done the Warm Home Discount Scheme oregon Winter Fuel Payments
• A discount connected the Royal Mail redirection work if you are moving house

Mixed aged older couples and Pension Credit

In May 2019, the instrumentality changed truthful a ‘mixed property couple’ - a mates wherever 1 spouse is of State Pension property and the different is nether it - are considered to beryllium a ‘working age’ mates erstwhile checking entitlement to means-tested benefits.

This means they cannot assertion Pension Credit oregon pension property Housing Benefit until they are some State Pension age. Before this DWP change, a mixed property mates could beryllium eligible to assertion the much generous State Pension property benefits erstwhile conscionable 1 of them reached State Pension age.

How to usage the Pension Credit calculator

To usage the calculator connected GOV.UK, you volition request details of:

• earnings, benefits and pensions

• savings and investments

You’ll request the aforesaid details for your spouse if you person one. You volition beryllium presented by a bid of questions with aggregate prime reply options.

This includes:

• Your day of birth
• Your residential status
• Where successful the UK you live
• Whether you are registered blind
• Which benefits you presently receive
• How overmuch you person each week for immoderate benefits you get
• Whether idiosyncratic is paid Carer’s Allowance to look aft you
• How overmuch you get each week from pensions - State Pension, backstage and enactment pensions
• Any employment earnings
• Any savings, investments oregon bonds you have

Once you person answered these questions, a summary surface shows your responses, allowing you to spell backmost and alteration immoderate answers earlier submitting. The Pension Credit calculator past displays however overmuch payment you could person each week.

All you person to bash past is travel the nexus to the exertion leafage to find retired precisely what you volition get from the DWP, including entree to different fiscal support.

There’s besides an enactment to people disconnected the answers you springiness utilizing the calculator instrumentality to assistance you implicit the exertion signifier quicker without having to look retired the aforesaid details again. Try the Pension Credit Calculator for yourself oregon your household subordinate to marque definite you’re receiving each the fiscal enactment you are entitled to claim.

Who cannot usage the Pension Credit calculator?

You cannot usage the calculator if you oregon your partner:

• are deferring your State Pension

• own much than 1 property

• are aforesaid employed

• have lodging costs (such arsenic work charges oregon Crown Tenant rent) which are neither owe repayments nor rent covered by Housing Benefit

How to marque a claim

You tin commencement your exertion up to 4 months earlier you scope State Pension age. You tin assertion immoderate clip aft you scope State Pension property but your assertion tin lone beryllium backdated for 3 months. This means you tin get up to 3 months of Pension Credit successful your archetypal outgo if you were eligible during that time.

You volition need:

• your National Insurance number

• information astir your income, savings and investments

• your slope relationship details, if you’re applying by telephone oregon by post

• If you’re backdating your claim, you’ll request details of your income, savings and investments connected the day you privation your assertion to start.

Apply online

You tin usage the online work if:

• you person already claimed your State Pension

• there are nary children oregon young radical included successful your claim

To cheque your entitlement, telephone the Pension Credit helpline connected 0800 99 1234 oregon usage the GOV.UK Pension Credit calculator here to find retired however overmuch you could get.