State pensioners on a low income who receive certain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits may be entitled to extra Pension Credit in July, worth up to £344.20 every four weeks.
Who Qualifies for the Extra Payment?
Retirees in receipt of Attendance Allowance, or the middle or highest rate of the care component for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or Adult Disability Payment (ADP), may be eligible for the disability element of Pension Credit.
The disability element is worth £86.05 a week for single pensioners, which amounts to £344.20 every four-week pay period. Similarly, a couple over State Pension age claiming Pension Credit where one person is claiming a disability benefit will also receive £86.05 a week.
Where both partners qualify for Pension Credit, this payment is worth £172.10 a week. Someone in receipt of Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment will get an additional Pension Credit payment of £48.15.
Underlying Entitlement
Older people may also get this extra Pension Credit if they are entitled to Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment but are not being paid it, or are being paid it at a lower amount than normal, because they are receiving a higher amount from another income-related benefit such as the State Pension. This is commonly referred to as an 'underlying entitlement'.
Take-Up of Pension Credit
Nearly 1.4 million older people across the UK, including more than 125,000 living in Scotland, are currently receiving Pension Credit. The DWP recently confirmed that this could provide an average of £4,300 in support during the year ahead. However, the latest figures from the DWP suggest there are still more than 700,000 eligible pensioners not claiming the benefit they are entitled to.
Some older people think that because they have savings or own their home, they would not be eligible for the means-tested benefit, which can also provide access to help with housing costs, heating bills, and Council Tax.
How to Check Eligibility
Pension Credit tops up weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level of £238.00 a week for single pensioners or £363.25 for couples. Older people, or friends and family, can quickly check their eligibility and get an estimate of what they may receive by using the online Pension Credit calculator on the Labour Party government website.
