Pensioners on low incomes are being urged to check whether they could be eligible for pension credit, worth over £3,500 per year on average.
Minister for Pensions Laura Trott said: “Pension credit can make a real difference and I am determined to make sure this support – worth an average of £3,500 a year – is reaching everyone who needs it, particularly as we know how much pressure households across the country have been under. Pension credit is designed to help people over state pension age and on a low income with daily living costs, though someone does not need to be in receipt of the state pension to receive it.
Pension credit is sometimes described as a “gateway benefit”, because even a small pension credit award can provide access to a wide range of other benefits – such as help with housing costs, council tax or heating bills – in addition to the extra cost-of-living payments, worth up to £900 this financial year.