Last chance for people over State Pension age to claim backdated Winter Fuel Payment
An estimated 760,000 pensioners across Great Britain need to make a new clam for Pension Credit over the phone by 6pm today (December 20) in order to qualify for this year's Winter Fuel Payment. People choosing to make a claim online have until 23.59 on Saturday, December 21.
On Friday, the Liberal Democrats and the charity Age UK, urged the UK Government to extend the deadline to enable every pensioner the opportunity to claim the support they are entitled to. The DWP has deployed 500 extra staff to help with the surge in new Pension Credit claims, but the backlog means most people will not receive any payment until well into the new year.
READ MORE: Older people urged to contact charity for help claiming Attendance Allowance payments of up to £434
The current processing time is around 60 working days. DWP also said it only takes 16 minutes on average for people to apply.
The DWP announced last week that Pension Credit is now worth around £4,200 each year and can unlock access to help with housing costs, Council Tax, heating bills and free TV licences for the over-75ss.
The number of new Pension Credit claims per week have more than doubled since Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in July that the annual heating bill help will not be issued to all 12.9 million pensioners.
Since the change to the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility rules were announced, an extra 42,500 older people are now receiving Pension Credit which means they are due Winter Fuel Payments of between £200 and £300 this year.
Minister for Pensions Emma Reynolds MP recently said: "We’re pleased to see more pensioners are now receiving Pension Credit and our staff are processing claims as quickly as possible. With the 21 December approaching, my message is clear: check if you are eligible for Pension Credit and if you are then apply, as it unlocks a range of benefits including the Winter Fuel Payment."
Some older people think because they have savings or own their home they would not be eligible for the means-tested benefit, but 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 £218.15 for a single person and £332.95 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 £189.80 a week for a single person and £301.22 a week for a couple
How much could you receive from DWP?
Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to:
£218.15 for a single person
£332.95 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:
£17.01 a week for a single person
£19.04 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 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.
Expert help and advice is also available from:
More details about claiming Pension Credit can be found on GOV.UK 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 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 GOV.UK, 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 GOV.UK Pension Credit calculator here to find out how much you could get.
