Thousands of people in Wales are estimated to be missing out on extra benefit payments, a report has claimed. Those eligible for pension credit are missing out on additional income due to lack of information, the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales says.
A new report published on Monday by the commissioner on pension credit uptake estimated that up to 80,000 older people in Wales do not receive the pension credit they are entitled to. Pension credit is a top-up for pensioners on low incomes and is currently around £182.60 a week for a single person and £278.70 for a couple, but this will rise to £201.05 and £306.85 from April 2023.
As well as extra income, the payment unlocks a range of other entitlements for those who qualify including council tax discounts and help with housing costs, free dental and eye care, and free TV licences for people aged over 75. To get all the latest money-saving news straight to your inbox twice a week sign up here.
The report said an estimated £200m of pension credit went unclaimed in Wales last year and called on the Welsh Government and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to take more steps to help those eligible for the money including better use of data and increased campaigns to make eligible claimants aware of the money they are missing out on. Older People’s Commissioner for Wales Heléna Herklots said awareness about pension credit was "relatively low" and that many older people were unsure about where to turn to for support.
"An estimated £200m of pension credit went unclaimed in Wales last year – money that should have been in the pockets of older people surviving on low incomes," she said. “Despite a wide range of work being delivered throughout Wales to support older people to claim, awareness about pension credit is still relatively low, with many older people saying they are unsure about where to turn for help and support.
“The findings of my recent summit, set out in the report I am publishing today, highlight the ways we could reach out to and communicate with older people more effectively, reduce the stigma and potential embarrassment about receiving pension credit, and how the advice and support available to older people could be improved.
“Within the report, I also call for action from the Welsh Government and Department for Work and Pensions to use data more effectively to identify older people who may be missing out and undertake further campaigns to raise awareness and encourage people to claim.
“Alongside this, recognising the role we can all play in supporting older people to claim what’s theirs, I want individuals and organisations to make a pension credit promise, to highlight the action they will take – however big or small – to help ensure that older people do not miss out on pension credit and the crucial support it provides."
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