Are you entitled to unclaimed pension credit?

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Pensioners urged to verify in the event that they may very well be eligible for Pension Credit score to safe the Winter Gasoline Fee, price as much as £300 per family.

• Claiming Pension Credit score may also passport pensioners to extra assist with housing prices, council tax, and heating payments
• Comes as Deputy Prime Minister and Work and Pensions Secretary write to Native Authorities to spice up uptake of pension credit score of their native areas

The Division for Work and Pensions is at present urging pensioners to verify their eligibility for Pension Credit score with a purpose to safe this yr’s Winter Gasoline Fee.

It comes as the federal government has needed to make some troublesome selections to repair the foundations of the financial system as a result of dire state of the general public funds, with the Winter Gasoline Fee – price as much as £300 – set to be means-tested and delivered to these on Pension Credit score to make sure it’s focused in the direction of these in most want.

Round 1.3 million households in England and Wales will proceed to obtain Winter Gasoline Funds, however the authorities is decided to spice up take-up of Pension Credit score to make sure low-income pensioners proceed to get this assist.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Work and Pensions Secretary are writing to Native Authorities and can be a part of forces with them, older peoples’ charities, and different teams this September for its annual Pension Credit score Week of Motion.

The federal government’s Pension Credit score consciousness drive will assist establish households not claiming the profit, and encourage pensioners to use by 21 December, the final date for making a backdated declare for Pension Credit score, with a purpose to obtain the Winter Gasoline Fee.

Whereas round 1.4 million pensioners are already receiving Pension Credit score there are as much as an estimated 880,000 households eligible for the help who’re but to assert.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall stated:

The £22 billion black gap within the public funds we now have inherited has required us to take troublesome selections, however I’m decided to make sure low-income pensioners are supported.

That’s why I urge any pensioner, or their family members, to verify if they may get Pension Credit score.

This authorities stays fully dedicated to pensioners which is why we’re defending the earnings of over 12 million pensioners by way of the Triple Lock.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves stated:

The dire state of the general public funds we inherited from the earlier authorities means we’ve needed to make some very troublesome selections.

Our dedication to supporting pensioners stays, which is why we’re sustaining the triple lock.

We would like pensioners to get the help they’re entitled to. That’s why I urge all pensioners to verify whether or not they’re eligible for Pension Credit score.

Power Secretary Ed Miliband stated:

Everybody has paid the value for over a decade of power insecurity, which is why we’re getting on with delivering clear energy by 2030, alongside our formidable Heat Properties Plan.

It’s crucial that these eligible get the help they want this winter, which is why the federal government will do all the pieces it might probably to roll out Pension Credit score, ensuring as many individuals as potential qualify for the as much as £300 Winter Gasoline Fee.

In the course of the Week of Motion, set to begin in September, the DWP and its companions will probably be tackling a number of the myths which will cease individuals making use of, equivalent to how having financial savings, a pension or proudly owning a house are usually not essentially limitations to receiving Pension Credit score.

This work builds on final yr’s Invitation to assert pilots, the place letters and leaflets have been focused at households already in receipt of Housing Profit, however not claiming Pension Credit score in ten native authorities.

This work comes alongside wider plans to make sure financial stability for pensioners by defending the Triple Lock, enhancing power safety and maintaining power payments low by way of the Heat Properties Plan and slicing NHS ready lists.

Over the subsequent 5 years over 12 million pensioners will see their State Pension improve by 1000’s of kilos because of the dedication to the Triple Lock.

And the Heat Properties Plan which can help funding in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading tens of millions of houses over this Parliament. This authorities’s long-term plan will shield billpayers completely and scale back gas poverty.

Pensioners whose weekly earnings is beneath £218.15 for a single particular person or £332.95 for a pair ought to verify to see in the event that they may very well be eligible. It’s price on common £3,900 a yr and may also open doorways to additional monetary assist, equivalent to housing prices, council tax, and heating payments, and the Winter Gasoline Fee price as much as £300.

And, pensioners who personal their very own dwelling or have financial savings or a personal pension earnings may nonetheless be eligible – with DWP’s on-line calculator in a position to work out how a lot a person may get.

Additional Info

• Functions for Pension Credit score may be made:
  • On the How to Claim page
  • Over the telephone by calling 0800 99 1234 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm)
  • By printing out and filling in a paper software type
  • For extra info go to the Pension Credit score GOV.UK web page.
• The Winter Gasoline Fee is price £300 for households with somebody aged 80 or over. Households with somebody aged 66-79 will obtain £200.
• We are going to work with Native Authorities to deliver collectively the administration of Pension Credit score and Housing Profit as quickly as operationally potential.
• Individuals who have reached State Pension age earlier than September 23, 2024 and are in receipt of Pension Credit score, Revenue Help, Revenue based mostly JSA, Revenue associated ESA and Common Credit score, will probably be entitled to a Winter Gasoline Fee – topic to eligibility circumstances.
• The laws to means-test the Winter Gasoline Fee will probably be laid on 22 August 2024. The qualifying week in 2024 for Winter Gasoline Funds will probably be from 16 to 22 September.
• 21 December is the final date for making a backdated declare for Pension Credit score, assuming the claimant met the Pension Credit score entitlement circumstances all through the earlier three months.
• Anybody who’s entitled to Pension Credit score for a minimum of someday of the Winter Gasoline Fee qualifying week can have automated entitlement to Winter Gasoline Fee. There are some exceptions that are detailed on GOV.UK: Winter Gasoline Fee: Eligibility – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Individuals should not have to do something further to backdate their declare. In the event that they make their software on-line, they’ll mechanically be requested in the event that they want to backdate it. In the event that they make their software over the telephone the advisor will speak them by way of this.
• Round 1.3 million households in England and Wales will proceed to obtain Winter Gasoline Funds attributable to another pensioner households being eligible and anticipated further Pension Credit score take up attributable to this reform.

Pension Credit score recipients by area (as of February 2024):