Martin Lewis urges state pensioners to check payments as ‘even more now eligible’ | Personal Finance | Finance
Martin Lewis issued some tips on his BBC podcast (Image: ITV)
Martin Lewis has urged state pensioners to check if they could claim some extra DWP payments. The consumer advocate urged older Britons to check their eligibility for a “fundamentally underclaimed” benefit as hundreds of thousands of people are thought to be missing out.
Mr Lewis spoke on his BBC podcast about Pension Credit, which can be worth over £4,000 a year on extra support. The benefit provides a top-up to your weekly income up to a minimum amount.
It also opens up access to lots of other Government help. Mr Lewis shared one story of a claimant who had secured a small income top-up through the scheme, but thanks to the other support it qualified them for, they were saving more than £3,000 off their yearly bills.
He shared some worrying numbers: “The latest stats are still over 900,000 of 2.3 million people who are eligible aren’t claiming it. As it’s just been increased for the new tax year, even more people are now eligible, some who weren’t before.”
The benefit is open to people of state pension age on a low income. You do not have to be claiming your state pension to get the support.
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How much is Pension Credit?
Pension Credit tops up your income up to £238 a week for single claimants and up to £363.25 a week if you have a partner. You may be able to get extra amount depending on your situation, such as an extra £86.05 a week if you have a severe disability or an extra £48.15 a week if you care for another adult.
But claiming the support opens up access to lots of other help, such as council tax discounts, help with NHS costs and a free TV licence for claimants aged 75 and over. Mr Lewis shared a story of a husband and wife, both on the state pension, who had hugely benefited from these extra perks.
£3,000 success story
The income top-up for them was just £6.10 a week, or just over £300 a year. But the income boost didn’t stop there. The wife said: “This opened up benefits. Due to the application being backdated to when I applied, I didn’t have any council tax to pay this year, a saving of £2,500 a year.
“Add to this a free TV licence, Warm Home Discount and lower water bill, this has resulted in a saving of over £3,000 a year.” She said these savings have been a huge relief for their financial burden.
She explained: “This has made such a difference to my husband and me, with less worry over the cost of living. I’m still budgeting very carefully, but with less pressure and anxiety.”
The wife urged people not to feel too proud to apply for the extra support. She said: “My husband and I worked as a self-employed plasterer and me as a receptionist. We had worked hard to buy our own property and had only one child. We’d never apply for benefits, how many are in a similar position.
“I regret to say that I’m too embarrassed to tell my friends that I’m in receipt of these benefits but please keep impressing on your viewers their rights and urge them to apply. I know the forms online are a little daunting but I’m sure family or a trusted friend would help.”
Big message
Inspired by the couple’s success story, Mr Lewis said: “That’s my big message. Pension Credit isn’t just about the money you get itself. It is the core gateway to so many other things.
“Free TV licence if you’re over 75, housing benefit if you’re a renter, council tax deductions, free dental treatment, reduced prescriptions, glasses and contact lenses. It’s absolutely crucial people know if they are eligible or not.”
Mr Lewis shared a simple rule of thumb in working out if you could be eligible and if it’s worth checking. He said: that if you are a single person with total weekly income under £238 a week, you are “likely” to qualify for the benefit.
If your weekly income is just higher but is less than £250 a week, it is “definitely worth checking to see” if you could claim the support.
For couples, if your combined is income is less than £363 a week, Mr Lewis said you are “very likely” to be eligible. If your total income together is below £380 a week, it’s definitely worth checking if you qualify.
You can check if you are eligible using the Pension Credit calculator tool on the Government website.
