In the latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions, during the month of February 2022, nearly 12.5 millions people across the UK were receiving State Pension payments.
This includes 1.1 million living abroad and 992,052 in Scotland, reports the Daily Record. Of the overall total in the UK, there are 10.1 million older people receiving Basic State Pension payments of up to £141.85 per week. This is in comparison to 2.4 million getting New State Pension payments, which are worth up to £185.15 each week.
This is a worrying statistic, as there are over 1.9 million people receiving less than £100 per week in State Pension payments, and just under 1.5 million of these are women.
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However, senior pensions and retirement analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, Helen Morrissey, has warned that at least some of those on Basic State Pension could be missing out on a DWP benefit. This benefit may be worth more than £3,300 each year in financial support, discounts and other benefits.
Ms Morrissey explained: “At least some of them could be helped by applying for Pension Credit, a benefit designed to top up the income of the poorest pensioners which also acts as a gateway to other benefits such as help with NHS costs and a free TV licence for the over 75s.
“The UK Government held a Day of Action in June designed to boost awareness of this much under-claimed benefit to help more people access this extra money. We hope to see a surge in the number of claimants when the next batch of data is published.”
Ms Morrissey added: “Some of these people will have other pensions they can use to supplement their income but those who don’t face incredibly difficult times as the costs of essentials like fuel and food continue to soar.”
Helen also highlighted that women are continuing to close the gender State Pension gap, with average incomes up to £165.05 per week for the new State Pension and £146.70 for the old State Pension. This is up from £160.11 and £141.98 the previous year.
Listed below are ways to help increase your finances before and after you reach State Pension age, as shared by Helen herself.
Claim Pension Credit
If you are over State Pension age and on a low income then you should check whether you are eligible for Pension Credit - use the handy online calculator on GOV.UK here.
Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to £182.60 if you’re single and £278.70 in joint income if you have a partner.
It can also entitle you to other benefits such as help with Council Tax payments and a free TV licence for those aged over 75.
Check the State Pension forecast
You can go online and check your entitlement for State Pension, on the ‘Check your State Pension forecast’ page on the GOV.UK website here.
This tool will also tell you your State Pension age - which is when you can officially retire and start collecting payments.
Child Benefit
A lot of people, women in particular, miss out on State Pension credits when they are at home looking after children. But, if they claim Child Benefit, individuals can receive National Insurance credits that count towards their State Pension.
Others missed out when they opted out of Child Benefit after the introduction of the High-Income Child Benefit Tax Charge. If you claim Child Benefit in your name, then you will get the National Insurance credit towards your State Pension.
Specified Adult Childcare Credit
If you are under State Pension age and looking after a family member under the age of 12 while their parent or main carer goes back to work, you could qualify for National Insurance credits.
This is done under the Specified Adult Childcare Credit, as the working parent essentially transfers their NI credit to you. There are other situations where you are receiving benefits and you can still claim National Insurance credits.
For example, if you are off work sick on Statutory Sick Pay. It is always worth checking to see if you may be entitled.
Buy National Insurance credits
If you can spare some cash, then buying National Insurance credits can boost the gaps in your NI record. Buying a full extra year costs around £800 but it’s worth checking with DWP before you do so to make sure you will benefit from the extra contributions.
Find out more about plugging gaps in your National Insurance record on GOV.UK here.
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