Reminder to check pension credit availability before Friday
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today urged anyone who may be eligible to receive Pension Credit to check eligibility and apply by Friday, in order to receive the top up to incomes and the first of three cost-of-living payments from the UK government.
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis said this week that up to a million eligible pensioners may have not yet claimed the Pension Credit benefit. Single pensioners with income under £220 a week or pensioner couples with income under £320 a week could be entitled to the Pension Credit, which tops up incomes and also gives eligibility for automatic cost-of-living payments totalling £900 over the next year, in addition to certain council tax benefits, housing benefits, or help with dental and optical costs.
The reminder comes as more than seven million households across the UK will have received a £301 cost-of-living payment by the end of Wednesday, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. The payments are part of a package of wider government support announced to tackle the cost of living in 2023-24, including a further £300 payment for eligible families in autumn 2023, with a payment of £299 in spring 2024. People will be eligible for the payments if they have been entitled to certain benefits between 16 January and 15 February 2023, including, for example, universal credit, pension credit and child tax credit.
Mr Carmichael said:
“While I suspect that the overwhelming majority of pensioners in the isles are already signed up for Pension Credit if they are eligible, I would strongly urge anyone who is not currently enrolled and thinks they may meet the criteria to check and apply by Friday. Even one more family added to the list is a win in terms of tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
“It is always easy to assume that applying is difficult or that the payment will not be worth the time but the cost-of-living payments could make a real difference for those struggling right now. It should not take long to check your eligibility but the time to act is now.”
Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today urged anyone who may be eligible to receive Pension Credit to check eligibility and apply by Friday, in order to receive the top up to incomes and the first of three cost-of-living payments from the UK government.
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis said this week that up to a million eligible pensioners may have not yet claimed the Pension Credit benefit. Single pensioners with income under £220 a week or pensioner couples with income under £320 a week could be entitled to the Pension Credit, which tops up incomes and also gives eligibility for automatic cost-of-living payments totalling £900 over the next year, in addition to certain council tax benefits, housing benefits, or help with dental and optical costs.
The reminder comes as more than seven million households across the UK will have received a £301 cost-of-living payment by the end of Wednesday, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. The payments are part of a package of wider government support announced to tackle the cost of living in 2023-24, including a further £300 payment for eligible families in autumn 2023, with a payment of £299 in spring 2024. People will be eligible for the payments if they have been entitled to certain benefits between 16 January and 15 February 2023, including, for example, universal credit, pension credit and child tax credit.
Mr Carmichael said:
“While I suspect that the overwhelming majority of pensioners in the isles are already signed up for Pension Credit if they are eligible, I would strongly urge anyone who is not currently enrolled and thinks they may meet the criteria to check and apply by Friday. Even one more family added to the list is a win in terms of tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
“It is always easy to assume that applying is difficult or that the payment will not be worth the time but the cost-of-living payments could make a real difference for those struggling right now. It should not take long to check your eligibility but the time to act is now.”