Three-day warning for 880,000 people set to miss out on £300
Time is running out for eligible older people to receive GBP300 from the Government’s 2023/24 cost of living support package, says Independent Age, the national older person’s charity. The cost of living payment announced last year is for households on many means-tested benefits, including Pension Credit, the income top-up for older people on a low income. Pension Credit is a form of financial support that ‘tops-up’ the income of people over the State Pension age who fall below a minimum income threshold.
It can be worth on average, up to GBP3,500 per year. However, the latest data shows that up to 880,000 eligible people could be missing out on this potentially life-changing support. The Government has said that if eligible older people put in their application for Pension Credit by Sunday, December 10, they might be able to backdate it during their application by a maximum of three months to receive GBP300, the second of three 2023/24 cost of living payments.
Applying for Pension Credit before this deadline will ensure applicants also get the next payment of GBP299 due in Spring 2024. To qualify for the winter cost of living payment of GBP300, applicants must receive a backdated award between August 18, 2023, and September 17, 2023. Even if a person only gets a few pennies extra per week in Guarantee Pension Credit, it can also unlock additional benefits such as the Warm Home Discount, a free TV licence (for people aged over 75), Council Tax Reduction, help to pay rent and free NHS[1] dental treatment.
Independent Age’s research has shown that these extra benefits can be worth up to GBP8,000 a year. Thabani Sitole, 74, said: “Before I started receiving Pension Credit, I was trying to pay the bills with just my State Pension and didn’t know how to make ends meet. When the letters from the bank, energy company and other creditors started coming through saying, ‘You have to pay this much by this month – or else’, I was so frightened.
I thought I was going to lose the flat. “When I found out I was entitled to Pension Credit, my life changed. The extra money allowed us to keep a roof over our head.
The cost of everything is going up and I am really worried about energy prices. But with Pension Credit, I am in a better position than before”. John Palmer, Director of Influencing and Engagement at Independent Age, said: “If you are an older person that is struggling financially, do not suffer in silence, you might be entitled to Pension Credit.
The deadline is fast approaching. Applicants may receive two more cost of living payments worth GBP600, additional weekly income top-ups, and other helpful entitlements. Far too many people are missing out on this life-changing support.
“If you think you could be eligible, visit the DWP website or call the Independent Age helpline on 0800 319 6789, and we can talk you through the application process, and especially how to backdate your claim by three months so you will receive the GBP300.
You can also use our online benefits checker[2] to find out more information.
During this difficult period of high costs, we all need to ensure we receive all the support we’re entitled to.”
References
- ^ NHS (www.nottinghampost.com)
- ^ online benefits checker (independentage.entitledto.co.uk)