The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) hopes ‘Pension Credit Week of Action’, an awareness campaign which runs until Friday, June 16, will encourage more older people to claim the ‘gateway’ benefit worth more than £3,500 each year. DWP estimates 850,000 pensioners are potentially eligible for the income boost, but not claiming.
The means-tested benefit gives people extra money to help with their living costs if they are over State Pension age and on a low income. Pension Credit can also provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with housing costs, Council Tax, heating bills and for those aged 75 or over, a free TV licence.
However, a rule change in May 2019, means that a ‘mixed age couple’ - a couple where one partner is of State Pension age and the other is under it - are considered to be a ‘working age’ couple when it comes to entitlement to means-tested benefits.
