Do you qualify for Pension Credit?
Our Cost of Living Campaign - Price Watch
highlights the impact of rising bills on our readers
AS BILLS rise and people’s incomes are feeling the pinch those in need welcome all the help they can get and it may be worthwhile checking if you qualify for Pension Credit.
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Pension Credit payments are based on how much money you have coming into a household
Citizens Advice confirms there are two parts to Pension Credit - Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit - and you may qualify for one or both.
Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to a minimum amount.
Savings Credit is a small top-up for people who have a modest amount of income or savings. It’s only available if you reached State Pension age before April 6 2016.
To claim Pension Credit you must not have too much income or savings and live in the UK.
You can still be working, as long as your income isn’t
too high and unlike the State Pension, you don’t need a national insurance record.
It’s a good idea to gather everything you can about your weekly income before applying.
Common forms of income are money from a private pension, money you get from State Pension, earnings from employers or being selfemployed - your earnings will be worked out as an average if they go up and down over
the year - and benefits such as JSA or ESA. You’ll also need to consider what savings and investments you have.
Any savings or investments over £10,000 will affect the amount of Pension Credit you get.
You’ll be treated as having £1 per week of income for every £500 above £10,000.
Visit GOV.UK to use the Pension Credit calculator before applying.