Citizens Advice urges pensioners to claim their pension credits

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Citizens Advice urges pensioners to claim their pension credits

Wed 12th Mar 2008

The Citizens Advice Bureau has advised pensioners to ensure they get the all the pension credit they are owed.

According to official estimates, up to four in ten pensioners entitled to pension credit, which tops-up the basic state retirement pension of £87.30 a week, are not getting the money they are due.

In 2005/2006, some £2.5 billion went unclaimed, despite the fact that making a claim for pension credit could increase an older person's income by £119.05 a week for a single pensioner or £181.70 a week for a couple.

Payment can currently be backdated for up to a year, so people who claim now could receive a substantial sum, but the government is planning on limiting the backdating period to only three months.

Citizens Advice director of policy Teresa Perchard said that with higher council tax bills and rising energy prices leaving many older people struggling to make ends meet, "too many pensioners are missing out on money that is rightfully theirs".

Recent price hikes in gas and electricity bills have pushed many pensioners into fuel poverty, with many of them unaware that they are eligible for free insulation and help with bills.

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