Pensioners to be handed £9,665 payments from DWP after Winter Fuel Payment row

State pensioners to be handed £9,665 from DWP after Winter Fuel Payment row

850,000 older households on low incomes are missing out on an average of £9,665 a year in pension top-ups.

by · Birmingham Live

Experts have warned 850,000 are missing out on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits worth £9,665 in Pension Credit - which is the is key to unlocking the £300 Winter Fuel Payment too. 850,000 older households on low incomes are missing out on an average of £9,665 a year in pension top-ups.

Policy in Practice founder, Deven Ghelani, is urging households to check eligibility. Deven said: "There really is no excuse for the shockingly low levels of Pension Credit take up as many older people continue to struggle with the cost of living."

Pension Credit - worth £3,900 itself - can unlock £300 Winter Fuel Allowances as well as Housing Benefit - £4,338, Council Tax support - £1,670, Winter Fuel Payment - £300, Broadband - £200, Free TV licence - £170, Water - £160 and the Warm Home Discount - £150.

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The total value unlocked by Pension Credit could be around £10,000 a year per person, making Pension Credit take up campaigns a priority for local authorities this Autumn. You claim the benefit as a single person or jointly as a couple if you have a partner (one partner must claim for both of you).

Your partner is your husband, wife, civil partner, or someone you live with as though you are married/civil partners. If you have a partner, your joint income and capital is taken into account when the amount of your DWP payout award is calculated.

To be entitled to Pension Credit, you must have reached State Pension age and meet the income-related criteria and satisfy residency conditions. A mixed age couple is where one person is over State Pension age (66 years) and the other person is under.

A mixed age couple cannot usually claim the benefit until both partners have reached State Pension age. You can usually claim Universal Credit instead until this happens.