Latest news with #PensionAgeWinterHeatingPayment
Daily Record
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Payment warning to people making a new claim for devolved disability benefits in Scotland
Social Security Scotland has issued crucial advice to people getting help to make a new claim for Adult, Child or Pension Age Disability Payment. By the end of this year, Social Security Scotland will administer and deliver 18 payments, including the new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which has now replaced Winter Fuel Payments north of the border. However, Scotland's devolved welfare system is urging people 'not to pay for assistance' after reporting that 'a number of third-party organisations are asking for a fee to help people apply for disability benefits on their behalf'. Social Security Scotland added: 'We strongly advise people not to use these companies.' This warning is crucial for people making a new claim for Adult, Child, or Pension Age Disability Payment, which can be done for free online or over the phone to Social Security Scotland. If you do need help completing an application form, free help is available from VoiceAbility. The Scottish Government funds VoiceAbility to deliver a free, independent advocacy service to support disabled people. If you need an advocate, you should: contact Social Security Scotland for free on 0800 182 2222 ask them to refer you to the Independent Advocacy Service Several organisations, including Citizen's Advice Scotland and Advice Direct Scotland, offer free, impartial advice to people applying for benefits delivered in Scotland. Social Security Scotland said; 'We want people to get every penny of the money they are entitled to and offer free assistance to anyone applying for our disability benefits. 'We can help people apply over the phone, online or in person. We can also collect information from doctors and other people who know how the person's condition impacts them to support their application.' Benefits and payments only available in Scotland Below is everything you need to know about devolved benefits and payments with direct links to the dedicated pages on the Social Security Scotland website here. Winter Heating Payment - £59.75 annual payment This annual payment replaced the Cold Weather Payment delivered by DWP in 2023 and will be worth £59.75 during winter 2025/26. It is designed to help people on a low income or benefits who might have extra heating needs during the winter - find out more here. Child Winter Heating Payment - £255.80 annual payment This is an annual payment to help families of youngsters up to the age of 19 on the highest rate care component of disability benefits and will be worth £255.80 in winter 2025/26. This payment provides support for people on Disability Living Allowance for Children, Child or Adult Disability Payment and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - find out more here. Just remember, Adult Disability Payment will fully replace PIP by Spring this year so it's included here as there are still people in receipt of the DWP benefits and intended as information only. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment - between £100 and £305.10 annual payment Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will help people of State Pension age in receipt of means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit with higher energy bills during the colder months. It replaces Winter Fuel payments and for winter 2025/26, all pensioners in Scotland will receive a minimum of £100 - find out more here. People aged between 66 and 79 on a qualifying benefit will receive £203. 40 (lower rate) People aged 80 and over on a qualifying benefit will receive £305.10 (higher rate) Scottish Child Payment - £27.15 weekly payment This will be a payment of £27.15 per week, per child from April - £108.60 every four weeks - to help towards the costs of looking after each child under 16 for families who get certain benefits - find out more here. Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment (first child) - £767.50 This is a one-off payment of up to £767.50 from 24 weeks in pregnancy up until a baby turns six months for families who get certain benefits - find out more here. Best Start Grant - Pregnancy and Baby Payment - £383.75 The Subsequent Child Payment and Multiple Pregnancy Supplement payment will be worth £383.75 in 2025.26 - find out more here. Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment - £319.80 This is a one-off payment of £319.80 when a child is between two and three years and six months for families who get certain benefits - find out more here. Best Start Grant School Age Payment - £319.80 This is a one-off payment of £319.80 when a child would normally start primary one for families who get certain benefits - find out more here. Best Start Foods This is a pre-paid card from pregnancy up to when a child turns three for families on certain benefits to help buy healthy food - find out more here. The 2025/26 weekly payment rates are: Higher rate - £10.80 Lower rate - £5.40 Funeral Support Payment This is money towards the costs of a funeral at a difficult time like this for people on certain benefits who are responsible for paying for a funeral. The current average payout is £1,800 - find out more here. Payment rates 2025/26: Standard rate: £1,279.15 Lower rate: £156.10 Medical device removal rate: £25.80 Job Start Payment This is a one-off payment for 16 to 24 year olds who have been on certain benefits for six months or more to help with the costs of starting a job - find out more here. Payment rates: Higher rate: £511.65 Standard rate: £319.80 Child Disability Payment - up to £749 every four weeks This is extra money - up to the value of £749 every four weeks in 2025/26 - to help with the costs of caring for a child with a disability or ill-health condition. It replaces Disability Living Allowance for children in Scotland that was previously delivered by the DWP - find out more here. The 2025/26 weekly payment rates Daily living Lower care award: £29.20 Standard: £73.90 Enhanced: £110.40 Mobility Standard: £29.20 Enhanced: £77.05 Adult Disability Payment - up to £749 every four weeks This is extra money - worth between £116.80 and £749.80 every four weeks - to help people who have a long-term illness or a disability that affects their everyday life. It replaces Personal Independence Payment people in Scotland previously delivered by the DWP - find out more here. 2025/26 weekly payment rates Daily living Standard: £73.90 Enhanced: £110.40 Mobility Standard: £29.20 Enhanced: £77.05 Pension Age Disability Payment - up to £441 every four weeks Pension Age Disability Payment has replaced all new claims for Attendance Allowance in Scotland. It will replace Attendance Allowance for existing claimants by the end of 2025. People living in Scotland-only will receive either £73.90 or £110.40 each week - the same rate as Attendance Allowance. it will be paid every four weeks - £295.60, or £441.60 per pay period. Pension Age Disability Payment will support older people who have a disability that means they need assistance with looking after themselves, or supervision to keep them safe. Find out more about the new payment here. Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance - up to £749 every four weeks This is a closed benefit, which means nobody can apply for it and is only for pensioners on Disability Living Allowance transferring from the DWP - find out more here. 2025/26 weekly payment rates Daily living Lower care award: £29.20 Standard: £73.90 Enhanced: £110.40 Mobility Standard: £29.20 Enhanced: £77.05 Young Carer Grant - £390.25 annual payment This is an annual payment of £390.25 for people 16, 17 or 18 who care for people who get a disability benefit from the DWP for an average of 16 hours a week or more - find out more here. Carer's Allowance Supplement - £293.50 paid twice a year This is an automatic payment of £293.50 made twice a year to people who get Carer's Allowance through the DWP on certain dates each year. The first payment of 2025 will be made in June and the next in December - find out more here. Carer Support Payment - £83.30 weekly payment Carer Support Payment is replacing Carer's Allowance for new and existing claimants in Scotland and will be worth £83.30 each week, some £333.20 every four week pay period. Full details about the new benefit can be found here.
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Older people urged to claim Pension Credit before any Winter Fuel Payment changes
An announcement on Winter Fuel Payment eligibility changes is not expected until the Autumn Budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced earlier this week that he wants to see 'more pensioners' receive Winter Fuel Payment, but gave no further details on how this would be achieved. Speculation has been growing that it could be a lowering of the current Pension Credit income threshold - around £11,800 - or means-testing the individual and not the household income. One thing the Prime Minister did confirm is that an announcement will be made during the next fiscal event - the Autumn Budget. However, retirement expert Helen Morrissy is urging 760,000 older people, who are entitled to Pension Credit but not claiming, to claim the £4,300 annual income boost now. While the Winter Fuel Payment is worth up to £300, Pension Credit provides more support, all year round. It's important to be aware that all 1.1 million pensioners in Scotland will receive at least £100 this winter through the devolved Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. The head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'Pensioners will be breathing a sigh of relief after the Prime Minister said the UK Government was looking at ways to make more pensioners eligible for Winter Fuel Payments. As yet detail is scant but could include a lowering of thresholds to enable more people to qualify. 'The decision to restrict Winter Fuel Payments last year to those on Pension Credit caused widespread alarm that pensioners just over the threshold could be left struggling to pay their heating bills over winter. 'However, as yet the change is not set in stone, and we do not know what it might look like. In addition, any change would not be announced until the Autumn Budget at the earliest. 'In the meantime, it is important that if pensioners feel that they might be eligible for Pension Credit that they put in a claim.' Ms Morrissey added: 'Pension Credit is a hugely important benefit that not only provides an income boost to the poorest pensioners but also acts as a gateway to further support such as help with Council Tax bills. However, it remains a massively underclaimed benefit and so it is vital that if you think you or a loved one might be eligible that you put in a claim.' The DWP recently confirmed that nearly 78 per cent of all new claims for Pension Credit are processed - from initial application to award decision letter - within the target timeframe of 50 working days (10 weeks). This means older people on a low income making a new claim this month, could receive their first payment and any arrears by the end of July. It's crucial for all older people - single, married or cohabiting - to make sure they are claiming all the additional financial support they are entitled to this year to help boost their income and offset the ongoing cost of living crisis. Below is everything you need to know about the benefit. Pension Credit in a nutshell When you apply for Pension Credit your income is calculated. If you have a partner, your income is calculated together. Pension Credit tops up: your weekly income to £227.10 if you're single your joint weekly income to £346.60 if you have a partner If your income is higher, you might still be eligible for Pension Credit if you have a disability, you care for someone, you have savings or you have housing costs. What counts as income Your income includes: State Pension other pensions earnings from employment and self-employment most social security benefits - for example, Carer's Allowance What does not count as income Not all benefits are counted as income. For example, the following are not counted: Adult Disability Payment Attendance Allowance DWP Christmas Bonus Child Benefit Disability Living Allowance Pension Age Disability Payment Personal Independence Payment social fund payments like Winter Fuel Allowance Housing Benefit Council Tax Reduction Your savings If you have £10,000 or less in savings and investments this will not affect your Pension Credit. If you have more than £10,000, every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week. For example, if you have £11,000 in savings, this counts as £2 income a week. How to check eligibility for Pension Credit 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 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. Expert help and advice is also available from: Independent Age Income Max Citizens Advice Age UK More details about claiming Pension Credit can be fond on here. Other help if you get Pension Credit If you qualify for Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as: Housing Benefit if you rent the property you live in Support for Mortgage Interest if you own the property you live in Council Tax discount Free TV licence if you are aged 75 or over Help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments Help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, Winter Fuel Payments or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment A discount on the Royal Mail redirection service if you are moving house Mixed aged older couples and Pension Credit In May 2019, the law changed so a 'mixed age couple' - a couple where one partner is of State Pension age and the other is under it - are considered to be a 'working age' couple when checking entitlement to means-tested benefits. This means they cannot claim Pension Credit or pension age Housing Benefit until they are both State Pension age. Before this DWP change, a mixed age couple could be eligible to claim the more generous State Pension age benefits when just one of them reached State Pension age. How to use the Pension Credit calculator To use the calculator on you will need details of: earnings, benefits and pensions savings and investments You'll need the same details for your partner if you have one. You will be presented by a series of questions with multiple choice answer options. This includes: Your date of birth Your residential status Where in the UK you live Whether you are registered blind Which benefits you currently receive How much you receive each week for any benefits you get Whether someone is paid Carer's Allowance to look after you How much you get each week from pensions - State Pension, private and work pensions Any employment earnings Any savings, investments or bonds you have Once you have answered these questions, a summary screen shows your responses, allowing you to go back and change any answers before submitting. The Pension Credit calculator then displays how much benefit you could receive each week. All you have to do then is follow the link to the application page to find out exactly what you will get from the DWP, including access to other financial support. There's also an option to print off the answers you give using the calculator tool to help you complete the application form quicker without having to look out the same details again. Try the Pension Credit Calculator for yourself or your family member to make sure you're receiving all the financial support you are entitled to claim. Who cannot use the Pension Credit calculator? You cannot use the calculator if you or your partner: are deferring your State Pension own more than one property are self employed have housing costs (such as service charges or Crown Tenant rent) which are neither mortgage repayments nor rent covered by Housing Benefit How to make a claim You can start your application up to four months before you reach State Pension age. You can claim any time after you reach State Pension age but your claim can only be backdated for three months. This means you can get up to three months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time. You will need: your National Insurance number information about your income, savings and investments your bank account details, if you're applying by phone or by post If you're backdating your claim, you'll need details of your income, savings and investments on the date you want your claim to start. Apply online You can use the online service if: you have already claimed your State Pension there are no children or young people included in your claim To check your entitlement, phone the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234 or use the Pension Credit calculator here to find out how much you could get.
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Winter fuel payment to be brought back for over one million Scots on St Andrew's Day
EXCLUSIVE: First Minister John Swinney told the Record the new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will be paid by November 30th. Over one million pensioners will benefit from a new winter heating payment from the SNP Government by St Andrew's Day. First Minister John Swinney also compared Labour's decision to snatch the payment from around 900,000 Scots to Mrs Thatcher 's poll tax. In his column for the Daily Record, the SNP leader provided an exclusive update on a universal payment worth up to £300 for some older Scots. He wrote: 'It is so inexplicable that one of the first things Keir Starmer did when he became Prime Minister was to cut this vital lifeline for our pensioners. 'Labour scrapping the Winter Fuel Payment was a complete betrayal – up there with Thatcher's poll tax or Nick Clegg on tuition fees. 'I am not willing to see Scottish pensioners left to struggle because of Labour broken promises. So we listened to what people were telling us and we took action. 'And I wanted to let Record readers be the first to know that the SNP Government's winter fuel payment will be paid to Scotland's pensioners by November 30th - St Andrew's Day - this year. 'That means older people in Scotland will receive this crucial support before we get into the worst of the winter weather – and unlike Labour, we will never abandon this vital support for our pensioners. That is my guarantee.' It comes after Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided to scrap winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners across the UK. Her decision to link the cash to benefits like pension credit meant nearly one million Scots lost out. The SNP Government said at the time the decision had complicated their own plans to use the devolved benefits system to introduce an alternative last winter. But their new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, which will replace the Westminster scheme, will come into force within six months. From this winter, low income households on pension credit will continue to receive a higher payment of between £200 and £300 based on age. Other pensioner households that have lost out under Reeves' cut package will receive £100. Scottish Government estimates suggest PAWHP will go to 812,000 households and it could affect over one million pensioners. Labour insiders admit the WFP cuts have derailed the Starmer Government and are largely responsible for the party's plummeting poll ratings and defeat in the recent Runcorn and Helsby by-election. Party figures told the Record the Reeves decision is coming up regularly on the doors during the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. Starmer is reportedly considering a partial u-turn after a revolt by his own MPs worried about their seats. During a recent trip to Albania, the Prime Minister did not deny he is reconsidering the policy: 'We took difficult decisions, but the right decisions, at the budget, including the decision that we took on winter fuel. We are now seeing the benefits of that in the interest rate cuts and the growth figures. They were difficult decisions but the right decisions.' Swinney will confirm the November 30th date today during a campaign visit to HLS, a seat the SNP are trying to retain. He said: "This decision I've taken as First Minister means that 36,000 pensioners in South Lanarkshire will be supported with their heating bills this winter. Scotland will always be an afterthought to Labour. The SNP always has and always will put Scotland first. We're on your side." We reported on Saturday that senior Scottish Labour figures fear they could come third in HLS behind the SNP and Reform. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: "While the Labour government delivers the greatest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation, makes work pay and grows the economy, all John Swinney can do is deliver a devolved benefit late. 'On John Swinney's watch our NHS has been broken, thousands have been forced into the arms of private healthcare and the number of homeless children is at a record high. 'Scots want a new direction for our country, and Scottish Labour is ready to deliver it."
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
DWP Pension Credit payment rules older people should know before going on holiday this summer
Over 1.4 million people on Pension Credit should tell the DWP if they plan to leave mainland Britain for any reason. More than 1.4 million older people across Great Britain, including over 125,000 living in Scotland, are currently receiving Pension Credit, a gateway benefit that now provides an average of £4,300 each year in extra financial support for those over 66 on a low income. The means-tested benefit can also provide access to Council Tax discounts and help with heating bills, including Winter Fuel Payments, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment and the Warm Home Discount Scheme. However, many claimants may be unaware they need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if they plan to holiday outside mainland Britain this year - for any length of time. Guidance on states that you should tell DWP 'if you're going to leave Great Britain for any reason at all, even if you'll only be away for a short time. This includes if you go to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands'. The official response is given to the question: 'Can I leave Great Britain and keep getting Pension Credit?' The full DWP answer states: 'We may pay Pension Credit for up to 4 weeks while you're temporarily away from Great Britain and we may pay for up to 8 weeks if the absence is in connection with a death. 'If the absence is solely in connection with medical treatment or medically approved convalescence, we may pay Pension Credit for up to 26 weeks. 'But you should tell us before you go if you're going to leave Great Britain for any reason at all, even if you'll only be away for a short time. This includes if you go to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.' Full details on how to report a change in circumstance can be found on here. The latest figures from the DWP suggest there are around 760,000 eligible people not claiming Pension Credit, even though they could be entitled to it. Some older people think because they have savings or own their home they would not be eligible for the means-tested benefit. However, an award of just £1 per week is enough to unlock other support. Below is an overview of the benefit including who should check eligibility, how to go about it, how much you could get and where to get help filling in the form. Who can claim Pension Credit? There are two types of Pension Credit - Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. To qualify for Guarantee Pension Credit, you must be State Pension age (66). Your weekly income will need to be less than the minimum amount the UK Government says you need to live on. This is £227.10 for a single person and £346.60 for a couple - this amount could be higher if you're disabled, a carer or have certain housing costs. You can only get Savings Credit if: you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 you saved some money for retirement, for example a personal or workplace pension How much could you receive from DWP? Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to: £227.10 for a single person £346.60 for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting) You might be able to get more than this if you're disabled or a carer, or you have certain housing costs - find out more on here. Savings Credit can give you up to: £17.30 a week for a single person £19.36 a week for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting). The exact amount you'll get depends on your income and savings. Your income includes assumed income from savings and capital over £10,000. How to check eligibility for Pension Credit 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 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. Expert help and advice is also available from: Independent Age Income Max Citizens Advice Age UK More details about claiming Pension Credit can be fond on here. Other help if you get Pension Credit If you qualify for Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as: Housing Benefit if you rent the property you live in Support for Mortgage Interest if you own the property you live in Council Tax discount Free TV licence if you are aged 75 or over Help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments Help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment or Winter Fuel Payments A discount on the Royal Mail redirection service if you are moving house Mixed aged older couples and Pension Credit In May 2019, the law changed so a 'mixed age couple' - a couple where one partner is of State Pension age and the other is under it - are considered to be a 'working age' couple when checking entitlement to means-tested benefits. This means they cannot claim Pension Credit or pension age Housing Benefit until they are both State Pension age. Before this DWP change, a mixed age couple could be eligible to claim the more generous State Pension age benefits when just one of them reached State Pension age. How to use the Pension Credit calculator To use the calculator on you will need details of: earnings, benefits and pensions savings and investments You'll need the same details for your partner if you have one. You will be presented by a series of questions with multiple choice answer options. This includes: Your date of birth Your residential status Where in the UK you live Whether you are registered blind Which benefits you currently receive How much you receive each week for any benefits you get Whether someone is paid Carer's Allowance to look after you How much you get each week from pensions - State Pension, private and work pensions Any employment earnings Any savings, investments or bonds you have Once you have answered these questions, a summary screen shows your responses, allowing you to go back and change any answers before submitting. The Pension Credit calculator then displays how much benefit you could receive each week. All you have to do then is follow the link to the application page to find out exactly what you will get from the DWP, including access to other financial support. There's also an option to print off the answers you give using the calculator tool to help you complete the application form quicker without having to look out the same details again. Try the Pension Credit Calculator for yourself or your family member to make sure you're receiving all the financial support you are entitled to claim. Who cannot use the Pension Credit calculator? You cannot use the calculator if you or your partner: are deferring your State Pension own more than one property are self employed have housing costs (such as service charges or Crown Tenant rent) which are neither mortgage repayments nor rent covered by Housing Benefit How to make a claim You can start your application up to four months before you reach State Pension age. You can claim any time after you reach State Pension age but your claim can only be backdated for three months. This means you can get up to three months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time. You will need: your National Insurance number information about your income, savings and investments your bank account details, if you're applying by phone or by post If you're backdating your claim, you'll need details of your income, savings and investments on the date you want your claim to start. Apply online You can use the online service if: you have already claimed your State Pension there are no children or young people included in your claim Article continues below To check your entitlement, phone the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234 or use the Pension Credit calculator here to find out how much you could get.
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Martin Lewis takes swipe at UK Government over Winter Fuel Payments as reports of U-turn on cuts dismissed
Martin Lewis has taken a swipe at the UK Government after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer dismissed any chance of a U-turn on reversing the cuts to Winter Fuel Payments. Reports earlier this week suggested the heating payment, worth up to £300, would be reinstated following Labour's recent defeat at the polls. Welsh First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan said the decision to means-test the previously universal benefit was 'something that comes up time and again' as she called for a 'rethink'. However, on Tuesday, Downing Street confirmed 'there will not be a change to the UK Government's policy' despite the concerns raised by Lady Morgan, senior Labour figures and Martin Lewis. Posting on social media, the financial guru said: 'Reports Government may partially U-turn on the Winter Fuel Payment cut by raising the effective eligibility threshold from £11,500. That'd be welcome but still doesn't fix the worst underlying problem... the means-testing mechanism (ie to get it you must claim Pension Credit) is flawed. 'Around 700,000 of the most vulnerable pensioners, already earning under £11,500, don't get Winter Fuel Payments because they don't go through the overly arduous process of claiming Pension Credit. Thus they miss out on both the important support that brings and on Winter Fuel Payments. That needs to change.' He added: 'None of this is new. Many of us have been shouting it until we're blue in the face. If a fix is to come, let it be a proper one, not just an electoral sticking plaster.' Following the announcement from Downing Street that there would be no reversal on the decision to cut the fuel bill support to millions of pensioners, Martin tagged Sir Keir, highlighting the low threshold of £11,500 for Pension Credit and the 'broken' mechanism of means-testing the Winter Fuel Payment. He also replied to a comments hinting that the UK Government knows the 700,000 pensioners who are entitled to the annual Pension Credit boost of £4,3000 are unreachable, despite their ramped up communications campaign, going as far as to say 'the fact hundreds of thousands wouldn't claim (Pension Credit) was clearly baked into the maths' as expenditure for everyone claiming Pension Credit would outstrip the savings made on cuts to Winter Fuel Payments. It's important to be aware that all 1.1 million pensioners in Scotland will receive at least £100 during winter 2025/26 under the new Pension Age Winter Heating Payment. Those in receipt of Pension Credit will receive between £203 and £305, depending on their age - full details here. Pension Credit DWP has updated the Pension Credit (Easy read) online guidance to help more older people claim the State Pension top-up, worth £4,300 over the 2025/26 financial year. It's crucial for all older people - single, married or cohabiting - to make sure they are claiming all the additional financial support they are entitled to this year to help boost their income and offset the ongoing cost of living crisis. Pension Credit is the most under-claimed benefit and is specifically aimed at providing additional financial support for older people on a low income - singles and couples. Nearly 1.4 million older people across Great Britain, including more than 125,000 living in Scotland, are currently receiving the means-tested benefit that could provide an average of £4,300 in extra support during the coming months. Some older people think because they have savings or own their home they would not be eligible for the means-tested benefit, which can also provide access to help with housing costs, heating bills and Council Tax. An award of just £1 per week is enough to unlock other support. Below is an overview of the benefit including who should check eligibility, how to go about it, how much you could get and where to get help filling in the form. Who can claim Pension Credit? There are two types of Pension Credit - Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. To qualify for Guarantee Pension Credit, you must be State Pension age (66). Your weekly income will need to be less than the minimum amount the UK Government says you need to live on. This is £227.10 for a single person and £346.60 for a couple - this amount could be higher if you're disabled, a carer or have certain housing costs. You can only get Savings Credit if: you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016, or you have a partner who reached State Pension age before this date and was already receiving it you have qualifying income of at least £198.27 a week for a single person and £314.34 a week for a couple How much could you receive from DWP? Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to: £227.10 for a single person £346.60 for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting) You might be able to get more than this if you're disabled or a carer, or you have certain housing costs. Savings Credit can give you up to: £17.30 a week for a single person £19.36 a week for a couple (married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting). The exact amount you'll get depends on your income and savings. Your income includes assumed income from savings and capital over £10,000. How to check eligibility for Pension Credit 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 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. Expert help and advice is also available from: More details about claiming Pension Credit can be fond on here. Other help if you get Pension Credit If you qualify for Pension Credit you can also get other help, such as: Housing Benefit if you rent the property you live in Support for Mortgage Interest if you own the property you live in Council Tax discount Free TV licence if you are aged 75 or over Help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments Help with your heating costs through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, Winter Fuel Payments or Pension Age Winter Heating Payment A discount on the Royal Mail redirection service if you are moving house Mixed aged older couples and Pension Credit In May 2019, the law changed so a 'mixed age couple' - a couple where one partner is of State Pension age and the other is under it - are considered to be a 'working age' couple when checking entitlement to means-tested benefits. This means they cannot claim Pension Credit or pension age Housing Benefit until they are both State Pension age. Before this DWP change, a mixed age couple could be eligible to claim the more generous State Pension age benefits when just one of them reached State Pension age. How to use the Pension Credit calculator To use the calculator on you will need details of: earnings, benefits and pensions savings and investments You'll need the same details for your partner if you have one. You will be presented by a series of questions with multiple choice answer options. This includes: Your date of birth Your residential status Where in the UK you live Whether you are registered blind Which benefits you currently receive How much you receive each week for any benefits you get Whether someone is paid Carer's Allowance to look after you How much you get each week from pensions - State Pension, private and work pensions Any employment earnings Any savings, investments or bonds you have Once you have answered these questions, a summary screen shows your responses, allowing you to go back and change any answers before submitting. The Pension Credit calculator then displays how much benefit you could receive each week. All you have to do then is follow the link to the application page to find out exactly what you will get from the DWP, including access to other financial support. There's also an option to print off the answers you give using the calculator tool to help you complete the application form quicker without having to look out the same details again. Try the Pension Credit Calculator for yourself or your family member to make sure you're receiving all the financial support you are entitled to claim. Who cannot use the Pension Credit calculator? You cannot use the calculator if you or your partner: are deferring your State Pension own more than one property are self employed have housing costs (such as service charges or Crown Tenant rent) which are neither mortgage repayments nor rent covered by Housing Benefit How to make a claim You can start your application up to four months before you reach State Pension age. You can claim any time after you reach State Pension age but your claim can only be backdated for three months. This means you can get up to three months of Pension Credit in your first payment if you were eligible during that time. You will need: your National Insurance number information about your income, savings and investments your bank account details, if you're applying by phone or by post If you're backdating your claim, you'll need details of your income, savings and investments on the date you want your claim to start. Apply online You can use the online service if: To check your entitlement, phone the Pension Credit helpline on 0800 99 1234 or use the Pension Credit calculator here to find out how much you could get.
