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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
People over state pension age may be due benefits worth thousands
There are a range of discounts, benefits, and grants available to those over the state pension age - and you could be eligible without even knowing it There are 13 million people over the state pension age of 66 in the UK. But only 1.7 million receive the full new state pension of £230.25 per week. As a result, potentially millions may be unaware of the additional support, benefits and discounts they are owed. The official MoneyHelper website has compiled a list of bonuses that could supplement your retirement income, without affecting state pension payments, as reported by the Daily Record. One of the first points to check is your state pension. Recent errors have resulted in people being underpaid by thousands in their state pensions, so checking your National Insurance record could provide a hefty increase in your retirement income. You need a full 35 years of National Insurance contributions to receive the £230.25 per week and at least 10 to qualify for any of the new state pension. If you are not receiving the full state pension amount, you might be eligible for Pension Credit. This income supplement can add £4,300 each year and also grants access to a variety of other benefits and discounts, such as a free TV licence for those over 75. provides a Pension Credit calculator which can help determine if you're eligible for this support. Currently, Pension Credit is one of the most underclaimed benefits, with eligible individuals missing out on approximately £1.5 billion each year. A variety of health benefits are available to help cover the extra costs associated with illnesses and disabilities, some of which are exclusively for individuals over the state pension age. If you claimed PIP or DLA before reaching the state pension age, you might still be eligible to continue getting your award until it expires. On the other hand, Attendance Allowance is made specifically for disabled or ill people over the state pension age. It can range from £73.90 to £110.40 per week, depending on the level of assistance or supervision required. Beyond the benefits system, there are numerous discounts available for those over the state pension age. This includes assistance with council tax, regardless of whether you rent or own your property. If you receive a disability or carer's benefit or the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit, you could be entitled to a larger council tax reduction. The latter might even cover your entire council tax bill. Another discount available to those over the state pension age is a free passport. To qualify, you must have been born on or before 2 September 1929 and be a British national. Lastly, a variety of travel concessions and schemes are available to those aged 60 and above. These include the 60+ London Oyster photocard, the Freedom Pass, Senior Railcards and free bus passes.
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Households on benefits including Universal Credit urged to act today to get cheap broadband
The deal offers average speeds of 36Mbps and is available only to those claiming certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support BT is increasing the cost of its Home Essentials social broadband tariff from tomorrow - but you can still lock in the current price if you act today. The price of this package is rising from £15 to £16 a month from May 2. The deal offers average speeds of 36Mbps and is available only to those claiming certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support. BT will ask for your National Insurance number when you apply to check you are eligible. There is also a faster deal with 67Mbps for £23 a month, which is due to rise to £24 tomorrow. Those who sign up tonight will lock in the current prices for 12 months. Keep in mind there is an upfront fee of £12 for postage and packaging. However, there are cheaper social broadband tariffs available - you can see the full list from Ofcom below. A BT spokesperson said: "We're committed to providing support to our customers when they need it most - so we're continuing to offer low-income customers a range of connectivity options. "From 2nd May 2025, new customers can now join our broadband social tariff Home Essentials, which offers the cheapest quality connectivity for zero income customers from £16 a month. Our yearly eligibility checks ensure we're offering customers the right tariffs at the right time." Get the best deals and tips from Mirror Money WHATSAPP GROUP: Get money news and top deals straight to your phone by joining our Money WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Full list of broadband and mobile social tariffs These are the current social tariffs listed by Ofcom. Check each tariff online to see which benefits you need to be claiming in order to take out one of these deals. Work allowance 4th Utility Social Tariff - £13.99 a month, 30Mbps (England) BT Home Essentials No Income - £15 a month, 36Mbps (UK) price increasing on May 2 BT Home Essentials Fibre Essential - £20 a month, 36Mbps (UK) price increasing on May 2 BT Home Essentials Fibre 2 - £23 a month, 67Mbps (UK) price increasing on May 2 Community Fibre Essential - £12.50 a month, 35Mbps (London) Connect Fibre Essentials - £25 a month, 150Mbps (Cambridgeshire, Essex, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Derbyshire) Country Connect Social Tariff - £15 a month, 50Mbps (Newport) County Broadband Essential Broadband Tariff - £15 a month, 15Mbps (East of England) EE Basics - £12 a month, up to 25Mbps (UK) Fibrus Full Fibre Essential - £14.99 a month, 50Mbps (Northern Ireland and Cumbria) Essential Fibre Broadband - £15 a month, 50Mbps (London) Grayshott Gigabit Connect - £19 a month, 100Mbps (England) Hey! Broadband Everyday Fibre - £16 a month, 100Mbps (South East England) Hyperoptic Fair Fibre - £15 a month, 50Mbps (England, Scotland, Wales) Hyperoptic Fair Fibre - £20 a month, 150Mbps (England, Scotland, Wales) KCOM Full Fibre Flex - £14.99 a month, 30Mbps (Hull) Lightning Fibre Social Tariff - £15 a month, 50Mbps (East Sussex and Kent) Lothian Broadband Social Tariff - £19.99 a month, 100Mbps (Lothian) NOW Broadband Basics - £20 a month, 36Mbps (UK) Quickline Social Tariff - £16.50 a month, 100Mbps (Yorkshire and Lincolnshire) RunFibre social tariff - £20 a month, 100Mbps (South Gloucestershire) Sky Broadband Basics - £20 a month, 36 Mbps (UK) SMARTY Social Tariff - £12 a month, 5G where available (UK) Toob Essentials - £20 a month, 50Mbps (South West) TalkTalk - FREE for six months through Jobcentre, 38Mbps (UK) Truespeed Basic - £20 a month, 30Mbps (South West England) Virgin Media Essential Broadband - £12.50 a month, 15Mbps (UK) Virgin Media Essential Broadband Plus - £20 a month, 54 Mbps (UK) Vodafone Fibre 2 Essentials - £20 per month, 73Mbps (UK) VOXI For Now - £10 a month, 5G where available (UK) Wildanet Helping Hand Social Tariff - £20 a month, 30-100Mpbs (Cornwall and Devon) WightFibre Essential Broadband - £16.50 a month, 100Mbps (Isle of Wight) YouFibre Social Tariff - £15 a month, 50Mbps (various locations) How to cut your broadband and mobile bill If your broadband or mobile contract is expiring, check prices elsewhere using a comparison website to see what other deals are available. When comparing broadband deals, take a look at your current speed, and for mobile, how many minutes, texts and data you use. You may find you're actually paying too much right now for speeds you don't really need, or allowances you're not using. If you've found a cheaper deal, you can switch to this if you're out of contract. Alternatively, you may want to haggle down your current provider. When haggling, explain the better deals you've seen elsewhere then ask if the company can match or beat that price. The best time to try and negotiate a better deal is near the end of your contract or, in some cases, when a price rise has been announced. You may be able to leave penalty-free when a mid-contract price rise is announced, although not if the price rise was already written into your contract.
