Brits at the official age of retirement could get a boost in income of more than £3,000 per year. And while a new application takes only weeks to process, successful claims are backdated to ensure no-one loses out. The benefit aims to give more support to older people on a low income who have reached the official age of retirement.
According to the Department of Working Pension (DWP), the extra resources have been pulled in to meet application demand which comes amid the ongoing cost of living crisis. Demand is at its highest peak following a nationwide campaign in early summer to raise awareness about the benefit, the Daily Record reports.
READ MORE: DWP payments and money changes this week
This has been ongoing since the awareness event in June, with regular nudges on social media encouraging family members to check if an older relative is eligible, especially if they are unable to do so themselves. To help even more people aged over 66 access support worth around £3,300 on average each year, DWP has introduced a new interactive Pension Credit claim form which can be completed online, downloaded and posted to the Pension Service.
This new way of making a claim could be useful for those who cannot claim the benefit online or over the phone as progress on the 24-page application form can be saved and completed at a later time. Click here for more information.
A successful claim for Pension Credit acts as a ‘passport’ to other financial support including council tax reductions, help with housing and mortgage payments, discounted NHS treatments and free TV Licences for the over-75s. The latest figures released by the DWP suggest that £1.7 billion is being left unclaimed by around 850,000 State Pensioners across the UK.
To find out if you are eligible, and how much extra you could potentially be paid every week, click here for the Pension Credit calculator on the gov.uk website. Below is everything you need to know about Pension Credit, whether it's for you or someone you know.
What is Pension Credit?
Pension Credit currently gives 1.5 million people across the UK extra money to help with living costs if they are over State Pension age and on a low income.
Some older people think because they have savings or own their home they would not be eligible for any Pension Credit, but the DWP said hundreds of thousands could be missing out on the extra money and discounts it provides every month.
If you qualify for Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as:
Housing Benefit if you rent the property you live in
Support for Mortgage Interest if you own the property you live in
Council Tax discount
Free TV licence if you are aged 75 or over
Help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments
Help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme
A discount on the Royal Mail redirection service if you are moving house
How to make a claim
You can start your application up to four months before you reach State Pension age. You can claim any time after you reach State Pension age but your claim can only be backdated for three months. This means you can get up to three months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time.
You will need:
your National Insurance number
information about your income, savings and investments
your bank account details, if you’re applying by phone or by post
if you’re backdating your claim, you’ll need details of your income, savings and investments on the date you want your claim to start
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