For those counting down the days to claim their pension, consider that certain benefits stop when you reach the official state pension age. It is worth calculating exactly what you will and won't be entitled to before reaching the threshold age, for while a forced retirement age of 65 no longer exists, you may not wish to keep working beyond that.
Currently, around 12.4 million people across the UK receive essential financial support through State Pension every four weeks. This regular payment of either £185.15 per week for the full, new State Pension or £141.85 per week for the basic old State Pension (Category A or B) is available for those who have reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age.
State pension age is the earliest age you can start receiving your state pension and this increased to 66 for both men and women in October 2020. Daily Record pointed out that two further increases in the age at which you can claim have been set out in legislation and are currently under review. This could mean a gradual rise to 67 for those born on or after April 1960 and a gradual rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046 for those born on or after April 1977.
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You can check your State Pension age, find out how much you could get when you do retire and check what other financial support you could get by checking the GOV.UK website here. In addition, Turn2Us has created an essential guide to the benefits you cannot claim from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when you reach State Pension age or Pension Credit age.
The benefits you can no longer claim
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 cannot 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, PIP, or ADP 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 that you received the award for and your last claim ended less than 12 months 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 byHMRC)
- 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, but only if you meet the benefit-specific income threshold:
- 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 - being replaced by new £50 payment in Scotland this winter
- 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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