State pensioners handed 29-day warning as they risk losing £4,000

800,000 people over the State Pension age have just one month left to apply for Pension Credit from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This year, Pension Credit is more crucial than ever - as it allows pensioners to get £300 Winter Fuel Payments.

If you are 66 or older and have the State Pension, you may not be receiving certain benefits and we encourage you to check your eligibility and apply for Pension Credit. Pension Credit is separate from your State Pension. You could qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment and other support like help with housing costs, help with Council Tax and a free TV licence for those aged 75 and over.

Thanks to the Pension Credit backdating rules, it is possible to apply for Pension Credit and have the claim backdated by up to 3 months – so long as there is entitlement during that time. This means that the latest date to apply and still qualify for Winter Fuel Payment is 21st December 2024.

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It is estimated that up to 880,000 households are missing out on Pension Credit, and it is worth, on average, £3,900 per year, providing additional benefits such as help with Council Tax and Housing Benefit and a free TV licence for those over 75.

Labour Party MP Emma Reynolds said: "DWP currently works to a planned timescale of 50 working days to clear Pension Credit claims. The data shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

"These figures will not align to previous PQ responses due to retrospective updates as the data is sourced from live systems. If a claim is made by 21 December, Pension Credit can be backdated for three months if the entitlement conditions have been met throughout that period, and if the claimant was eligible, they would also receive a Winter Fuel Payment."