The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that 10,000 new claims for Pension Credit were received during a week-long awareness push last month, an increase of some 275%. Pension Credit Day of Action on June 15, was a dedicated day where famous faces, including Martin Lewis and Len Goodman teamed up with charities and the DWP to encourage 850,000 older people to claim the gateway benefit.
Pension Credit is worth around £3,300, on average, each year in financial support and is a passport to other benefits including Council Tax reduction, housing and mortgage support, discounted NHS treatments and free TV Licences for the over-75s.
And it’s not too late to get extra financial help through the £650 cost of living payment as Pension Credit is a retrospective benefit which means it can be backdated three months from the date a claim is submitted. If the application is successful, the £326 payment would be made along with arrears.
