Many retirees think they can’t claim the Pension Credit, a benefit designed to help low-income retirees because they have savings or own their homes. However, this is not necessarily the case, and many could be entitled to a worthwhile supplement.
Age UK shared the story of a 72-year-old woman who was able to benefit from the Pension Credit scheme.
Called Mrs. W, the woman had recently grappled with the loss of her husband and was living alone.
This meant she was forced to get by on £104 a week, which left her struggling, especially as her rent alone was £107.
Mrs. W’s small savings that she had put aside are quickly dwindling with the rising cost of living and the retiree begins to worry.
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Age UK shared that she received a pension credit of £36 a week with full support for her rent and council tax.
Overall, that meant she was making £158 better each week.
Ms W said: “You were so easy to understand. I couldn’t have done everything if you hadn’t been there to help me.
The widow was also given details of Attendance Allowance – another payment to help older people, this time those with a medical condition or disability.
Thanks to her pension credit application, Mrs. W was able to take care of her health and concentrate on grieving her husband.
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Pension credit could provide significant levels of support, both financial and otherwise.
Although the payment provides monetary help, it also helps Britons in other aspects of their lives, as the case of Ms W.
It is frequently described as a ‘bridging benefit’ as it entitles claimants to further assistance.
This can include free TV licenses for the over 75s, help with health and housing costs and support for NHS costs.
DWP statistics show pension credit can be worth an average of £3,300 a year.
It could make a huge difference in a person’s daily life, and people have been urged to check their eligibility.
The government website has created the Pension Credit Calculator for this purpose to help senior citizens.
Here they can find out if they are eligible for pension credit and how much they could get.
The calculator only takes “a few minutes” to complete and could be the key to earning extra income.
To use the service, Britons will need:
- Earnings, benefits and pension details
- Details of savings and investments.
Others may want to call the Pensions Department or the Pension Credit Claims Line to find out more.
