People approaching retirement have been warned certain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will stop once they reach State Pension or Pension Credit age.
The official age of retirement in the UK is 66. Your State Pension age is the same as your Pension Credit age unless you are a man born before December 6, 1953.
You can check the GOV.UK website here to find your State Pension age and if you can start claiming Pension Credit. Turn2Us has created a guide to explain some of the benefits you cannot claim from the DWP when you reach State Pension age or Pension Credit age - as The Daily Record reports.
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Pension Credit age
When you, or your partner, reach Pension Credit age, you can no longer claim:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Universal Credit
State Pension age
When you, or your partner, reach State Pension age, you can no longer claim:
- Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You can’t make a new claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) once you have reached State Pension age, however, if you were already receiving DLA or PIP, you can renew the claim even though you are over State Pension age.
This can only be done as long as you are claiming for the same health conditions and your last claim ended less than one year ago, before you reached State Pension age. The DWP has said that DLA claimants who were born before April 8, 1948 will not be transferred to PIP, however, those born after that date will be.
Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance are also not available once you reach State Pension age.
Benefits not affected by your State Pension age
You can claim these benefits even if you are over State Pension age:
- Child Benefit (delivered by HMRC)
- Carer’s Allowance - you may not be eligible for the full financial element depending on your income from State Pension
- Guardian’s Allowance
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
You can also claim these benefits even if you are over State Pension age as long as your income is low enough:
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Support
- Support for Mortgage Interest
- Working Tax Credit (HMRC) - you can't make new claims for this, but if you're already getting it you can carry on receiving it
- Child Tax Credit (HMRC)- you can't make new claims for this, but if you're already getting it you can carry on receiving it
- Help with Health Costs
- Cold Weather Payment
- Warm Home Discount Scheme
- Winter Fuel Payment
For more details about benefits when you reach State Pension age, visit the Turn2Us website here.
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