Married pensioners could be entitled to an extra £4,300 as the Department of Work and Pensions issues an alert to couples. Some may be unaware that they could apply for Pension Credit on top of their State Pension. There are almost 1.4million older people collecting their Pension Credit, a means-tested benefit that can deliver an average of £4,300 in additional assistance over the next year.
But the DWP calculates that approximately 760,000 pensioners are entitled to the State Pension top-up but haven’t applied for it. The department has since issued a notice to pensioners telling them to check whether they are eligible for the £4,300 yearly top-up.
Married pensioners with a joint weekly income of under £363.25 per week, or single pensioners earning below £238.00 could qualify for Pension Credit, which increases your income to that level.
Some elderly people mistakenly believe that possessing savings or being homeowners would exclude them from the means-tested benefit, which can also provide access to help with housing costs, heating bills and Council Tax. However, an award of merely £1 per week is enough to unlock additional forms of support.
The DWP has confirmed almost 78% of all new Pension Credit applications are handled – from initial submission to award decision letter – within the target period of 50 working days (10 weeks). This means pensioners on a low income submitting a new application this month could receive their first payment and any backdated amounts by August.
Claims can be backdated by up to three months, allowing eligible applicants to receive this money in their first payment if they qualified during that period. Applications can begin up to four months before reaching State Pension age.
Older people, or friends and family, can quickly check their eligibility and get an estimate of what they may receive by using the online Pension Credit calculator on GOV.UK here.
Alternatively, pensioners can contact the Pension Credit helpline directly to make a claim on 0800 99 1234 – lines are open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.