The State Pension provides crucial financial assistance each month for more than 12 million people throughout the UK, including almost a million Scots. Claimants who have reached the retirement age receive £179.60 every week if they're eligible for the full new State Pension, or £137.60 if they get the basic old State Pension (Category A or B).
The UK Government's eligible retirement age rose to 66 for men and women starting in October 2020, but two more increases are planned — an increase to 67 for people born after April 1960, and an increase to 68 between 2044 and 2046 for people born after April 1977. People who are nearing the retirement age should be aware that their age will affect which benefits they are eligible for.
While some benefits will open up once reaching State Pension or Pension Credit age, others will no longer be available, as reported by the Daily Record. Unless you are a man who was born prior to December 6, 1953, the State Pension age will be the same as the Pension Credit age.
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People can find out their State Pension age, and whether they are eligible to begin receiving Pension Credit, by visiting the 'Check your State Pension age' webpage on the GOV.UK website. Here is a roundup of the benefits that are affected by age.
Benefits affected by your age
Welfare charity Turn2Us has put together a helpful guide to the benefits that are no longer available from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) once a claimant reaches the State Pension or Pension Credit age.
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
- Contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Although a new claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cannot be made once an applicant reaches the State Pension age, those who already receive the benefit are still able to renew their claim. However, this is only possible if they claim for the same health conditions and their previous claim ended under a year prior, before they reached State Pension age.
The DWP has revealed that DLA claimants who were born prior to April 8, 1948 will not be moved over to PIP, though those born after this will be. Other benefits that are not available once reaching State Pension age are Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance.
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
- 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:
- 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
