It has recently been published that close to one million pensioners, many of whom have been paying into the system for years, are missing out on an average income boost of £3,300 per year via pension credit.
We have a quick guide along with some information on how to check if you qualify.
- It takes a few minutes to check if you qualify, with the cost of living increasing what do you have to lose?
The exact rules of who can get pension credit are complex, so we have a simple rule of thumb – if you’re of state pension age (66 or older) and have total weekly income under roughly £200, then get online at www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim or call the Pension Credit claim line on: 0800 99 1234 to see if you’re eligible.
- Pension credit can be worth £65 a week on average.
- Pension credit can also lead to entitlement to FREE TV licences and other benefits.
Those who claim the main part of pension credit can get discounts on other bills such as a council tax reduction – worth about £1,000 per year on average and the warm home discount – worth £140 per year.
- It’s NOT an automatic benefit so you MUST claim for it.
You can apply via Gov.uk if you’ve already claimed your state pension, but otherwise you’ll need to phone the Pension Service on 0800 99 1234. You can backdate it for three months, so the quicker you check, the quicker you’ll benefit.