Credit's where credit's due
Stay warm this winter by claiming what you’re owed, advises Paul Lewis.
Since the Chancellor announced her decision to take the Winter Fuel Payment away from all pensioners who don’t receive pension credit, claims for that benefit have more than doubled. The latest figures show them running at nearly 10,000 a month as people aged 66 or more rush to claim so they can keep their Winter Fuel Payment.
The Department for Work and Pensions is joining in by writing this month to 120,000 pensioners encouraging them to claim pension credit, and it’s deploying 500 more staff to deal with the extra claims.
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So, if you are over 66 and feel hard up, then it’s worth making a claim to see if you’re eligible. Even if you’ve been refused before, please try again. The average amount paid to people who claim now is around £50 a week – more than £2,500 a year – and on top of that you’ll get the £200 (aged 66–79) or £300 (over 80) Winter Fuel Payment. Even if your entitlement to pension credit is much less, just a few pence a week unlocks the Winter Fuel Payment (and, once you reach 75, the free TV licence).
To qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment you must claim before 21 December. And if you claim before 13 November you may also get the Warm Home Discount, which is £150 off one electricity bill from your energy supplier.
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The pension credit rules mean that people can be entitled with higher incomes than the thresholds normally quoted in the press. If you get the old state pension, are severely disabled, a carer, or pay service charges or ground rent on your home, you are more likely to be entitled. So claim now and ask for your payment to be backdated by three months from the date you claimed it.
Apply online by searching “pension credit claim” at gov.uk – alternatively, call free on 0800 99 1234 in office hours and a kind person will help you claim there and then. If you are entitled you should also check with your local council about getting help with your council tax and, if you are a tenant, your rent. You have paid tax all your life. Time now to get a bit of it back!