State pensioners are being urged to check if they qualify for Pension Credit worth more than £4,500 a year on average.
Hundreds of thousands of pensioners are being urged to check whether they qualify for a benefit worth more than £4,500 a year on average, as the Government launches a new campaign to help low-income households boost their retirement income. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is sending 660,000 leaflets to households across seven areas of the UK, encouraging older people to check their eligibility for Pension Credit and seek help with making a claim if needed.
The campaign aims to reach pensioners who may be missing out on support because they are unaware they qualify, including homeowners and people with savings who mistakenly believe they cannot claim. Pension Credit provides extra money to help people on lower incomes with everyday living costs. It can also open the door to other forms of support, including help with bills and certain other benefits.
Around 1.4 million pensioner households already receive Pension Credit, but the DWP says many more eligible people are not claiming the support available to them. The new drive follows last year’s awareness campaign, which led to an additional 33,500 applications, according to the department.
Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said too many pensioners were missing out on money they were entitled to receive. “Pension Credit is worth more than £4,500 a year on average and can make a real difference to people’s finances, while also opening the door to help with bills and other everyday costs,” he said.
“If you think you might be eligible, it’s worth checking. We want to make sure pensioners get the support they’re entitled to and don’t miss out on money that could help them in retirement.”
The leaflets will be delivered in Glasgow, Powys, Stockton-on-Tees, inland Cornwall, Birmingham, East Suffolk and Manchester, where there are high proportions of low-income pensioners. The campaign forms part of the DWP’s Pension Credit Week of Action, which aims to tackle misconceptions about who can claim and encourage eligible people to apply.
Advertising will also run across print, television, radio and social media, including through a partnership with ITV quiz show The Chase. Morgan Vine, director of policy and influencing at charity Independent Age, said more than one million older people on low incomes who were eligible for Pension Credit did not receive it in 2023/24, according to the charity’s analysis. It estimated they missed out on a combined £2.5 billion in support.
She said the charity regularly heard from older people experiencing financial hardship because they did not know about Pension Credit or realise they qualified.
The Government says Pension Credit is among the forms of support available to pensioners facing cost-of-living pressures, alongside measures such as the Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payments and Attendance Allowance.
Pensioners who are unsure whether they qualify are being encouraged to check their eligibility and seek advice from organisations such as Independent Age and Citizens Advice. Family members can also help older relatives understand the benefit and make a claim.
State pensioners are being urged to check if they qualify for Pension Credit worth more than £4,500 a year on average.
Hundreds of thousands of pensioners are being urged to check whether they qualify for a benefit worth more than £4,500 a year on average, as the Government launches a new campaign to help low-income households boost their retirement income. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is sending 660,000 leaflets to households across seven areas of the UK, encouraging older people to check their eligibility for Pension Credit and seek help with making a claim if needed.
The campaign aims to reach pensioners who may be missing out on support because they are unaware they qualify, including homeowners and people with savings who mistakenly believe they cannot claim. Pension Credit provides extra money to help people on lower incomes with everyday living costs. It can also open the door to other forms of support, including help with bills and certain other benefits.
Around 1.4 million pensioner households already receive Pension Credit, but the DWP says many more eligible people are not claiming the support available to them. The new drive follows last year’s awareness campaign, which led to an additional 33,500 applications, according to the department.
Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said too many pensioners were missing out on money they were entitled to receive. “Pension Credit is worth more than £4,500 a year on average and can make a real difference to people’s finances, while also opening the door to help with bills and other everyday costs,” he said.
“If you think you might be eligible, it’s worth checking. We want to make sure pensioners get the support they’re entitled to and don’t miss out on money that could help them in retirement.”
The leaflets will be delivered in Glasgow, Powys, Stockton-on-Tees, inland Cornwall, Birmingham, East Suffolk and Manchester, where there are high proportions of low-income pensioners. The campaign forms part of the DWP’s Pension Credit Week of Action, which aims to tackle misconceptions about who can claim and encourage eligible people to apply.
Advertising will also run across print, television, radio and social media, including through a partnership with ITV quiz show The Chase. Morgan Vine, director of policy and influencing at charity Independent Age, said more than one million older people on low incomes who were eligible for Pension Credit did not receive it in 2023/24, according to the charity’s analysis. It estimated they missed out on a combined £2.5 billion in support.
She said the charity regularly heard from older people experiencing financial hardship because they did not know about Pension Credit or realise they qualified.
The Government says Pension Credit is among the forms of support available to pensioners facing cost-of-living pressures, alongside measures such as the Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payments and Attendance Allowance.
Pensioners who are unsure whether they qualify are being encouraged to check their eligibility and seek advice from organisations such as Independent Age and Citizens Advice. Family members can also help older relatives understand the benefit and make a claim.