Independent Age warns 1.2 million State Pensioners are missing out on Pension Credit from DWP. New figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show a slight dip in the number of people on Pension Credit.
At the end of February, nearly 1.4 million people over State Pension age were claiming the income-related benefit worth nearly £4,000 each year - a decrease of 9,118 since November 2023. The charity Independent Age warns the new figures are a worrying sign that the new Labour Government’s plan to drive take-up of the benefit is starting on the back foot as the previous Conservative government had implemented an ongoing awareness campaign to encourage more pensioners to claim the support.
Eligibility for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment and its devolved counterpart, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, will only be made to those over 66 in receipt of a means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit. Independent Age estimates around 1.2 million people are missing out on Pension Credit, which can also provide access to help with housing costs, the Warm Home Discount Scheme and Council Tax.
The number of people claiming Pension Credit in Scotland fell from 126,088 to 125,136 over the three months between December 2023 and February 2024. Commenting on the figures, Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age said: It’s concerning that there was a small decrease of 3 per cent in the number of new people receiving Pension Credit between December 2023 an.