Are you entitled to unclaimed pension credit score?

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Pensioners urged to examine in the event that they could possibly be eligible for Pension Credit score to safe the Winter Gas Fee, value as much as £300 per family.

• Claiming Pension Credit score can even 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 as we speak urging pensioners to examine their eligibility for Pension Credit score as a way to safe this 12 months’s Winter Gas Fee.

It comes as the federal government has needed to make some tough selections to repair the foundations of the economic system because of the dire state of the general public funds, with the Winter Gas Fee – 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 the direction of these in most want.

Round 1.3 million households in England and Wales will proceed to obtain Winter Gas 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 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, as a way to obtain the Winter Gas 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 say.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall mentioned:

The £22 billion black gap within the public funds we’ve inherited has required us to take tough 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 examine if they may get Pension Credit score.

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

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves mentioned:

The dire state of the general public funds we inherited from the earlier authorities means we’ve needed to make some very tough 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 examine whether or not they’re eligible for Pension Credit score.

Vitality Secretary Ed Miliband mentioned:

Everybody has paid the worth for over a decade of power insecurity, which is why we’re getting on with delivering clear energy by 2030, alongside our bold Heat Houses 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 could actually to roll out Pension Credit score, ensuring as many individuals as attainable qualify for the as much as £300 Winter Gas Fee.

Throughout the Week of Motion, set to begin in September, the DWP and its companions will likely be tackling among the myths that will cease folks making use of, reminiscent of how having financial savings, a pension or proudly owning a house should not essentially limitations to receiving Pension Credit score.

This work builds on final 12 months’s Invitation to say pilots, the place letters and leaflets had 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 holding power payments low by means of the Heat Houses Plan and chopping NHS ready lists.

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

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

Pensioners whose weekly earnings is under £218.15 for a single particular person or £332.95 for a pair ought to examine to see in the event that they could possibly be eligible. It’s value on common £3,900 a 12 months and can even open doorways to additional monetary assist, reminiscent of housing prices, council tax, and heating payments, and the Winter Gas Fee value as much as £300.

And, pensioners who personal their very own residence or have financial savings or a non-public pension earnings may nonetheless be eligible – with DWP’s on-line calculator capable of work out how a lot a person may get.

Additional Data

• Functions for Pension Credit score may be made:
  • On the How you can Declare web page
  • Over the cellphone 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 Gas Fee 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 attainable.
• Individuals who have reached State Pension age earlier than September 23, 2024 and are in receipt of Pension Credit score, Earnings Assist, Earnings based mostly JSA, Earnings associated ESA and Common Credit score, will likely be entitled to a Winter Gas Fee – topic to eligibility circumstances.
• The rules to means-test the Winter Gas Fee will likely be laid on 22 August 2024. The qualifying week in 2024 for Winter Gas 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 circumstances all through the earlier three months.
• Anybody who’s entitled to Pension Credit score for a minimum of at some point of the Winter Gas Fee qualifying week may have computerized entitlement to Winter Gas Fee. There are some exceptions that are detailed on GOV.UK: Winter Gas Fee: Eligibility – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Individuals shouldn’t 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 want to backdate it. In the event that they make their software over the cellphone the advisor will speak them by means of this.
• Round 1.3 million households in England and Wales will proceed to obtain Winter Gas 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):