Cost of living help for pensioners

Nationally almost one million pensioners, many of whom have been paying into the system for years, are missing out on an average income boost of around £3,500 per year via pension credit.

Eligibility

The exact rules of who can get pension credit are complex, but people are eligible are those of state pension age (currently 66 or older):

• If you're single with total weekly income under roughly £220, or
• If you're a couple, both of pension age, with weekly income under roughly £320

Then get online to check your eligibility or call the pension credit helpline on 0800 99 1234  to see if you're owed anything.

Why it’s so helpful

Even if you find out you're only entitled to a small amount of pension credit, it's still worth claiming as it means you can qualify for other benefits.

These could include:

• Extra cost of living payments (worth up to £900)
• Free TV licence for over-75s (worth up to £159)
• Council Tax reduction (amount varies depending on your home)
• Warm Home Discount (worth £150 per year)
• Housing benefit – if you rent your home (up to £1000s per year)
• Cold weather payments (up to £25 per week, during winter – weather dependent)