This news article informs readers about the Pension Credit benefit, highlighting recent changes and providing a guide on eligibility, how to claim, and the amount recipients can receive. It also emphasizes the importance of contacting the DWP if planning to leave Great Britain.
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 £4,200 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.
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 GOV.UK 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 GOV.UK here. State Pension News 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, 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 £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: How much could you receive from DWP? Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to: 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: The exact amount you’ll get depends on your income and savings. Your income includes assumed income from savings and capital over £10,000. Pension Credit Help to claim 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 fond 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: 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. Latest Benefits News How to use the Pension Credit calculator To use the calculator on GOV.UK, you will need details of: 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: Winter heating bill help 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 suppor
PENSION CREDIT STATE PENSION BENEFITS GOV.UK DWP
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