Do you qualify for £3,000 UK state pension top-up

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that up to one million pensioners could be entitled to Pension Credit.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that up to one million pensioners in the UK could be entitled to Pension Credit but are not claiming for it.

Pension Credit can help top-up income in retirement, even if the person has another source of regular income or receives a pension.

Some older people are under the assumption that because they have their own home or savings tucked away they won’t qualify for the Pension Credit, however, this means many are missing out on the extra income.

At a parliamentary hearing earlier this year, Secretary of State at the DWP, Dr Therese Coffey, said that even if someone who applies only ends up receiving an extra two pence per week from the government, this could still entitle them to other additional benefits and discounts.

This is due to the fact that people who receive Pension Credit may also qualify for other help with things such as Housing Benefits or Council Tax. Over 75’s also get a free TV licence which is a saving of £159 annually.

Dr Coffey told the Work and Pensions Committee: “About three-quarters of people whom we estimate to be eligible for the minimum income guarantee do apply. On the savings side, only about half of people, we estimate, apply.”

“I expect a lot of that might be driven not by complexity but, when you go through some of the calculation, you might be getting pennies back from the savings credit element.”

“We will continue to highlight the other benefits that could accrue and, even if you are getting, frankly, two pence a week from the [UK] Government, what you could be entitled to as well. We will continue to advertise that, but we have done quite a substantial amount of advertising in the past year. We cannot force people to apply for this. There are plenty of indicators.”

Additional benefits of claiming Pension Credit include free TV licence for over-75s, Council Tax Reduction that is potentially worth £1,000 to £2,000 annually, Warm Homes Discount that is worth £140 annually, Housing Benefit that is potentially worth £1,000s a year, cold weather payments that could be worth £25 a week in winter, free home insulation and boiler grants which could be worth £1,000’s, Free dental treatment, and a voucher for glasses/contact lenses worth £39 to £215 depending on the prescription.

The DWP recently launched a new Pension Credit Toolkit which includes a quick guide to entitlement and details about payments.

Click here for the online Pension Credit calculator.

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