Are you entitled to unclaimed pension credit score?

Isobel Lawrance


1st Sep 2024

Studying Time: 4 minutes

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

• Claiming Pension Credit score may passport pensioners to further 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 right this moment urging pensioners to test their eligibility for Pension Credit score with a purpose to safe this yr’s Winter Gasoline Cost.

It comes as the federal government has needed to make some troublesome choices to repair the foundations of the economic system because of the dire state of the general public funds, with the Winter Gasoline Cost – value as much as £300 – set to be means-tested and delivered to these on Pension Credit score to make sure it’s focused in 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 set 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 determine 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 Cost.

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 assist who’re but to say.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall stated:

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

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

This authorities stays fully dedicated to pensioners which is why we’re defending the revenue 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 choices.

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

We wish pensioners to get the assist they’re entitled to. That’s why I urge all pensioners to test whether or not they’re eligible for Pension Credit score.

Vitality Secretary Ed Miliband stated:

Everybody has paid the value for over a decade of vitality 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 assist they want this winter, which is why the federal government will do every thing it could to roll out Pension Credit score, ensuring as many individuals as doable qualify for the as much as £300 Winter Gasoline Cost.

Through the Week of Motion, set to start in September, the DWP and its companions will likely be tackling among the myths that will cease individuals making use of, akin to how having financial savings, a pension or proudly owning a house are usually not essentially boundaries to receiving Pension Credit score.

This work builds on final yr’s Invitation to say 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 vitality safety and preserving vitality payments low by way of the Heat Properties Plan and reducing NHS ready lists.

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

And the Heat Properties Plan which is able to assist funding in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading thousands and thousands of houses over this Parliament. This authorities’s long-term plan will shield billpayers completely and cut back gasoline poverty.

Pensioners whose weekly revenue is beneath £218.15 for a single individual or £332.95 for a pair ought to test to see in the event that they may very well be eligible. It’s value on common £3,900 a yr and may open doorways to additional monetary assist, akin to housing prices, council tax, and heating payments, and the Winter Gasoline Cost value as much as £300.

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

Additional Info

• Functions for Pension Credit score could be made:
  • On the How you can Declare web page
  • Over the telephone by calling 0800 99 1234 (Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm)
  • By printing out and filling in a paper software kind
  • For extra data go to the Pension Credit score GOV.UK web page.
• The Winter Gasoline Cost is value £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 convey collectively the administration of Pension Credit score and Housing Profit as quickly as operationally doable.
• Individuals who have reached State Pension age earlier than September 23, 2024 and are in receipt of Pension Credit score, Revenue Help, Revenue primarily based JSA, Revenue associated ESA and Common Credit score, will likely be entitled to a Winter Gasoline Cost – topic to eligibility situations.
• The laws to means-test the Winter Gasoline Cost will likely be laid on 22 August 2024. The qualifying week in 2024 for Winter Gasoline Funds will likely 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 situations all through the earlier three months.
• Anybody who’s entitled to Pension Credit score for no less than at some point of the Winter Gasoline Cost qualifying week can have computerized entitlement to Winter Gasoline Cost. There are some exceptions that are detailed on GOV.UK: Winter Gasoline Cost: Eligibility – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Individuals would not have to do something further to backdate their declare. In the event that they make their software on-line, they’ll routinely be requested in the event that they wish 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 resulting from another pensioner households being eligible and anticipated further Pension Credit score take up resulting from this reform.

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