State Pension provides essential financial support for around 12.4 million people across the UK.
Payments of up to £179.60 per week are available for those who are eligible, and have reached the UK Government’s retirement age, which increased to 66 for both men and women in October 2020.
However, two further increases are currently set out in legislation - a gradual rise to 67 for those born on or after April 1960 and a gradual rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046 for those born on or after April 1977.
READ MORE: DWP confirms change to PIP assessments
And when you reach State Pension age or Pension Credit age you can start claiming some benefits while others will stop, the Daily Record reports.
Your State Pension age is the same as your Pension Credit age unless you are a man born before December 6, 1953.
You can check your State Pension age and whether you can start claiming Pension Credit on the GOV.UK website here.
Pension Credit age
When you, or your partner, reach Pension Credit age, you can no longer claim:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Universal Credit
- State Pension age
When you, or your partner, reach State Pension age, you can no longer claim:
Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You can’t make a new claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) once you have reached State Pension age, however, if you were already claiming DLA or PIP, you can renew the claim even though you are over State Pension age.
This can only be done as long as you are claiming for the same health conditions and your last claim ended less than one year ago, before you reached State Pension age.
The DWP has said that DLA claimants who were born before April 8, 1948 will not be transferred to PIP, however, those born after that date will be.
Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance are also not available once you reach State Pension age.
Benefits not affected by your State Pension age
You can claim these benefits even if you are over State Pension age:
- Child Benefit (delivered by HMRC)
- Carer’s Allowance
- Guardian’s Allowance
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
You can also claim these benefits even if you are over State Pension age as long as your income is low enough:
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Support
- Support for Mortgage Interest
- Working Tax Credit (HMRC) - you can't make new claims for this, but if you're already getting it you can carry on receiving it
- Child Tax Credit (HMRC)- you can't make new claims for this, but if you're already getting it you can carry on receiving it
- Help with Health Costs
- Cold Weather Payment
- Warm Home Discount Scheme
- Winter Fuel Payment
For more details about benefits when you reach State Pension age, visit the Turn2Us website here.
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