Tops Top News Online Real News Portal 
Britons are being urged to check if they or someone they know could be eligible to claim the DWP’s Pension Credit benefit.
Pension Credit is one of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) most underclaimed benefits and it can be worth up to £3,500 a year.
In one of a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, the DWP recently wrote: “It’s easy to check whether you’re eligible for #PensionCredit – don’t miss out this Christmas.”
The benefit is separate from the state pension and people need to claim it, which makes it vital that people know about it to reduce the risk of missing out.
After all, successful claims can result in additional financial support, including potential eligibility for future cost-of-living payments, a free TV licence, discounted or free council tax, and assistance with other expenses such as NHS dental care.
Who is eligible for Pension Credit?
Pension credit is aimed at those retired and on lower incomes with living costs, and people can receive it even if they have other income, savings, or own their own home.
It tops up a person’s income to a minimum of £201.05 per week for single pensioners and £306.85 for couples. These figures will increase next April by 6.7 percent, following last week’s Autumn Statement.
Pension credit rules can be complex but first and foremost, a person must live in England, Scotland or Wales and have reached the state pension age (currently 66 and over). They or their partner must also receive housing benefit.
If this applies, the person must work out their weekly income. This is calculated to include the person’s state pension, other pensions, earnings from employment and self-employment, and most social security benefits, for example, Carer’s Allowance.
People are most likely to be eligible for Pension Credit if their total weekly income is roughly under £204 or £307 as a couple according to Money Saving Expert (MSE). However, if their income is higher, they might still be eligible.
If a person has a disability, cares for someone, has savings, or has housing costs, “Guarantee Credits” are also available to provide a boost.
People can find out if they qualify and how much they might receive by using the DWP’s Pension Credit calculator, which can be found here.
Applications can be made up to four months before reaching the state pension age. People can also apply any time after reaching the state pension age, but applications can only be backdated by three months.
This means people can get up to three months of Pension Credit in their first payment if they were found to be eligible during that time.
People can apply online, by post or by phone, and details for this can be found here.
