Those who are old enough to claim State Pension can get financial support every four weeks.
Around 12.4 million across the UK, including 981,399 Scots are receiving the State Pension.
As the Daily Record reports, it is a payment of either £179.60 per week for the Full, new State Pension or if you're on the basic on State Pension (category A or B) you can get £137.60 per week if you've reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age, which increased to 66 for both men and women in October 2020.
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However, changes could be on the horizon as there are two further increases are currently set out in legislation - a gradual rise to aged 67 for those born on or after April 1960 and for those born on or after 1977, the retirement age will gradually rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046.
While the next State Pension review won't happen until 2023, for those approaching the official age of retirement, it's worth nothing that your age may impact the benefits you can claim in later life.
When you reach State Pension age, you can start claiming some benefits but others will ultimately stop.
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 Check your State Pension age page of the GOV.UK website here.
Benefits affected by your pension age
Turn2Us has created an essential guide to the benefits you cannot claim from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when you reach State Pension age or Pension Credit age.
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)
Once you have reached State Pension age, you can’t make a new claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP), 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 byHMRC)
- 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
