Pension credit score purposes rise however many rejected | EUROtoday

Applications for pension credit score – permitting low-income pensioners to additionally obtain winter gasoline funds – have seen a pointy rise because the authorities introduced cost-cutting plans.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has withdrawn the gasoline funds from 10 million pensioners, to assist cowl what she known as a £22bn black gap within the public funds.

The resolution introduced in July has led to 150,000 purposes for pension credit score being submitted since, in keeping with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

But solely 42,500 have been profitable, with hundreds being rejected and others awaiting a choice.

Most folks shall be eligible for the brand new, means-tested winter gasoline cost provided that they’ve registered first to obtain pension credit score.

Some 150,000 purposes for pension credit score have been submitted within the 16 weeks since July 29, when the chancellor made her announcement.

That was a 145% improve in contrast with the earlier 16 weeks. However, the variety of folks being awarded pension credit score has solely elevated by 17% over the identical interval.

The excessive variety of rejections may very well be folks failing to fulfill the factors, or failing to submit the 24-page, 223-question kind correctly.

The variety of new purposes represents a small fraction of the 880,000 pensioners estimated to have been eligible for the profit however who had not put in a declare.

Those who apply earlier than 21 December will obtain backdated funds of each pension credit score and the winter gasoline allowance, and the DWP has deployed 500 additional employees to deal with claims for the profit.

Pensions minister Emma Reynolds stated: “We’re pleased to see more pensioners are now receiving pension credit and our staff are processing claims as quickly as possible.

“With December 21 approaching, my message is obvious: verify if you’re eligible for pension credit score and if you’re then apply, because it unlocks a spread of advantages together with the winter gasoline cost.”

However, campaigners and opposition parties have been critical of delays.

The government’s own data suggests a 10-week typical wait between an application being submitted and a final decision.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said the figures were a “damning indictment of the federal government’s failure to guard pensioners this winter”.

“Millions of weak pensioners are nonetheless set to lose their winter gasoline cost simply because the chilly climate bites,” she said.

The changed winter fuel payment policy remains under continued scrutiny. The Unite union is pushing ahead with legal action aimed at overturning it.

In Scotland, ministers announced extra measures to help those set to miss out.

An estimated 880,000 low-income pensioner households eligible for pension credit currently fail to claim it.

The government says it is worth an average of £3,900 a year and claiming it can qualify people for other financial support such as winter fuel payments.

You can check your eligibility for pension credit via the government’s online calculator.

Information is also available on how to make a claim. There is also a phone line available on weekdays – 0800 99 1234.

There is a guide to benefits, when you qualify and what to do if something goes wrong, provided by the independent MoneyHelper websitebacked by government.

Benefits calculators are additionally run by Policy in Practiceand charities Entitledtoand Turn2us.