State Pension currently provides essential financial support for 12.5 million older people across the UK, including some 981,399 living in Scotland. This regular payment is available for those who have reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age, which is now 66 for both men and women, and have paid at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) delivers the contributory benefit and has revealed that the latest forecasts indicate that 738,300 older people are set to receive their State Pension for the first time in the 2022/23 financial year. However, many people approaching the official retirement age may not be aware that the money is not paid automatically by the DWP and needs to be claimed, or they could miss out on payments of up to £185.15 every week.
And for people with varying or complex needs, they may not be aware that DWP provides choice in how they can access their services to claim their State Pension.
New pensions minister, Alex Burghart MP, explained the support available to vulnerable older people in a recent written response which asked about support for people claiming State Pension with autism.
Alex Burghart said: “State Pension invite letters are issued to prompt a customer to claim State Pension four months before State Pension age.
“In the unlikely event of not receiving an invite letter there are still four access routes to claim, making sure those with differing or complex needs have options to use the most appropriate route based on their individual requirements. “
These include:
- Online
- By phone
- By post
The claimant, or their trusted helpers, can choose the most appropriate route to support their needs.
Mr Burghart continued: “Where, during contact with the department, someone is identified as having additional or complex needs, DWP Agents have access to the Advanced Customer Support Team who ensure DWP has the services and tools in place to help our most vulnerable customers identify, access and engage with the support that they need when they have multiple barriers.”
He explained how this includes support to make a claim and to ensure first payments are made on time, signposting, or referrals to external organisations if needed.
“All channels offer alternative formats when the claim is made which includes braille, British Sign Language, email, a hearing loop, translations, large print and audio,” he said.
The UK Government provides free and impartial Pension Wise guidance for anyone who is over the age of 50 with a defined contribution pension (DC).
Pension Wise helps individuals with the options they have to access their DC workplace and private pensions savings.
Mr Burghart also said: “This guidance is delivered by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) who are required to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and must make reasonable adjustments for people’s accessibility needs.
"Accessibility requests can either be arranged at the point of booking a Pension Wise appointment or, if during the appointment any additional needs are identified, MaPS can adjust the delivery of the appointment to suit requirements.”
Why is State Pension not paid automatically?
The reason it is not paid automatically when someone reaches State Pension age is because some people choose to defer making a claim in order to keep working and contribute more towards their pension pot.
You can find out more about deferring your State Pension on the GOV.UK website here.
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