Are you entitled to Pension Credit?

CITIZENS Advice Devon and Cornwall is urging pensioners to see if they are entitled to Pension Credit, which will also allow them to continue having a free TV licence.

Last autumn, new rules came into force, which mean people aged over 75 who previously had a free TV licence will now have to pay the full licence fee unless they, or their partner living at the same address, are receiving Pension Credit.

Over 2,400 people in Plymouth and over 1,500 in Exeter have not accessed the benefit they are entitled to. In Cornwall alone, around 61% of entitled people are not claiming it (amounting to 6,800 pensioners), the fourth highest level in the country.

Pension Credit is a weekly benefit based on how much money a person has coming in. You can apply online, by phone or by completing a form.

There are two parts to Pension Credit, called Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. Guarantee Credit tops-up weekly income to a minimum amount. Savings Credit is a small top-up for people who have a modest amount of income or savings and is only available if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016.

Before applying, you’ll need to gather the personal information the Pension Service need. Make sure you have: your National Insurance number your bank, building society or Post Office card account details

details of how much money you have coming in each week, such as from a pension

details of any savings and investments you have

your housing costs, such as rent or mortgage repayments

information about any benefit payments you receive. If you live with a partner you’ll need to give the Pension Service the same information about them. You’ll also need to provide information of anyone else living with you, such as details about any benefits they’re receiving. You won’t need to give detail about their income.

You can apply for Pension Credit online on GOV.UK. You can only apply online if:

you’ve already claimed your State Pension

you’re not living with someone under 16, or between 16 and 19 in fulltime education.

Make sure you have the information you need before starting your online application. You’ll have to complete your application in one sitting – you won’t be able to save and come back to it later. If you can’t apply online, you can claim by calling the Pension Service and telling them you want to claim Pension Credit. Pension Credit claim line – Tel: 0800 99 1234 Textphone: 0800 169 0133 (Mon to Fri, 8am to 7.30pm).

Ask for your Pension Credit to be backdated when you apply. Pension Credit can be backdated for up to three months before you apply if you were eligible during that time. This means you’ll get up to three months of Pension Credit included in your first payment.

If the Pension Service have all the information they need they can sometimes make a decision on your claim and put payments in place straight away. If they need more information they’ll send you a form to fill in.