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This article is for general guidance only and is not financial or professional advice. Any links are for your own information, and do not constitute any form of recommendation by Saga. You should not solely rely on this information to make any decisions, and consider seeking independent professional advice. All figures and information in this article are correct at the time of publishing, but laws, entitlements, tax treatments and allowances may change in the future.
If you’re over state pension age, and think you could be eligible for pension credit then firstly, it’s worth finding out whether you’re able to claim the average £3,900 a year extra it could bring.
What’s more, it’s often known a ‘gateway benefit’, because if you’re eligible, you could get access to a free TV licence, help with spectacles, travel to NHS appointments, assistance with dental treatment and many other extras.
Thousands are missing out though, as the government estimates only 63% of families entitled to pension dredit are actually claiming it.
It's more important than ever, now that you'll only get the annual winter fuel payment if you're on pension credit or some other means-tested benefits.
Anyone eligible to claim shouldn’t feel hesitant, as you or your spouse will have paid the necessary national insurance over the years and should feel comfortable claiming what you’re entitled to, especially as it can give access to many helpful extras.
David Samson, Benefits Expert at charity Turn2us, says the forms for pension credit are long, but if you claim by phone by calling 0800 99 1234, your housing benefit claim – one of the many extras you may also be entitled to – can be completed at the same time.
Turn2us has a benefits calculator to help see what you’re eligible for, so even if you’re not able to claim pension credit, if you’re on a low income you can see what other help you might be able to get.
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You're entitled to free NHS dental treatment if you or your spouse or civil partner receive pension credit guarantee credit. You can claim this at the dental surgery, using your award notice as proof you’re entitled.
If you get pension credit savings credit on its own, you’re not automatically entitled to free NHS dental treatment. But you could apply for help through the NHS Low Income Scheme.
Anyone over the age of 60 is entitled to a free eye test, but with pension credit guarantee credit you’ll get access to help with the cost of glasses or contact lenses too.
“Once you've had an eye test, the optician should give you a yellow GOS3 optical voucher with your prescription on it. The voucher can be used for glasses at any optician, not just the one where you had the test,” explains Samson.
You can claim help with travel costs to the hospital or other NHS premises for treatment or tests if you’re referred by a doctor, dentist or another primary care health professional, if you or your spouse or civil partner receive pension credit guarantee credit.
“To claim your travel costs, take your travel receipts, appointment letter or card, plus proof that you're receiving a qualifying benefit, to a cashiers' office in the hospital or clinic that treated you,” says Samson.
Pension credit claimants could also be eligible for housing benefit to help with rental payments. Usually, you won't get housing benefit if your savings are over £16,000, unless you get the guarantee credit element of pension credit.
“Housing benefit is claimed through your local authority, which will have its own claim forms,” says Samson. There’s a portal on the government website to help get you started with the process.
“However, if you claim pension credit by phone, the housing benefit form can be completed at the same time, and the DWP will forward your claim to your local authority,” he adds.
If you own your own home, and are eligible for pension credit, you might be entitled to help with paying your mortgage interest, ground rent and service charges.
When you apply for pension credit you’ll be asked extra questions about your housing costs to find out if you’re eligible for support for mortgage interest (SMI). Help with ground rent and service charges are paid within pension credit.
“However,” says Samson, “help with mortgage interest is in the form of an interest-bearing loan and you need to research whether this is the best option for you before making a claim”.
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If you get pension credit, you could also be eligible for a council tax reduction (sometimes called council tax support). This is claimed through your local authority, which will have its own claim forms – although there is a different scheme in Northern Ireland.
You can use the government website to help you start your search for where you can claim the support, which could be up to 100% reduction in some cases.
You might get extra money called a "carer addition with pension credit" if you care for someone who’s getting a disability benefit. Carer addition is paid within pension credit and is worth £46.40 a week.
According to Carers UK, you’ll also need to be entitled to carer’s allowance – this doesn’t mean you need to be receiving it, but you’ll have to meet the eligibility criteria.
“If you are disabled and get a disability benefit, you could get extra money called a severe disability addition with pension credit if you meet the conditions,” says Samson. This is paid within pension credit.
However, you cannot get this addition if someone is getting carer’s allowance, the carer’s element of universal credit, or carer support payment for looking after you.
You’ll get help through pension credit if you’re bringing up a child, including access to free school meals depending on where you live.
The child or young person must normally live with you and be under the age of 20. However, if they’re 16 or over, but under 20, they must be in education or approved training.
Help with bringing up a child is paid through pension credit. For free school meals, you need to apply via your local authority.
If you, or someone you live with, are 75 or older and receive pension credit,you’re eligible for a free TV licence.
The person named on the licence doesn’t have to be claiming pension credit – if you’re in a couple, as long as one of you is eligible, then you can claim.
You need to apply to the TV Licensing Authority online or call them on 0300 790 6117 to ask for a form to be sent out. The body suggests you apply when turning 74 to make the process smoother when you become eligible a year later.
You can get a winter fuel payment each winter if you've reached state pension age and are receiving pension credit during the qualifying week, which is usually in September.
Most people eligible should get the winter fuel payment automatically if they're getting pension credit – you shouldn’t need to make a separate claim.
You might get a cold weather payment during particularly cold weather if you’re claiming pension credit.
This payment is made if you get certain benefits, and the temperature drops below freezing for seven days in a row.
You’ll get £25 for each period of seven days of very cold weather over winter.
This is paid automatically by the DWP for the cold weather payment, or automatically by Social Security Scotland for the winter heating payment (a slightly different benefit that does not depend on how cold it is).
If you find yourself arranging a funeral, pension credit claimants may qualify for financial support.
The Funeral expenses payment (or Funeral support payment if you live in Scotland), can help towards the cost of a funeral, including burial or cremation fees.
To qualify for the support the deceased will usually need to have been your partner or a child (under 16, or 20 if they were still in education) that you were responsible for (although exceptions may be made for the funerals of close friends if they did not have a partner).
It’s also important to note that you may not qualify if another close relative of the deceased is in work and not claiming any of the required benefits.
“Apply to the DWP [using the Bereavement Services Helpline] for the Funeral Expenses Payment or to Social Security Scotland for the Funeral Support Payment,” says Samson.
This payment might need to be returned if you later receive money from the deceased person’s estate.
Some providers offer discounts for pension credit claimants on broadband and phone packages.
Sometimes called ‘essential’ or ‘basic’ broadband, according to Ofcom, these are designed to deliver broadband in the same way as other packages and make connectivity and access possible for more people.
“There are a lot of different social tariffs and you can choose one that’s the right speed and price and that is offered in your area,” says Samson.
Ofcom publishes a list of providers that offer the benefit, with prices and speeds in your area – you might need your national insurance number to prove you’re eligible to claim the benefit.
Ofcom lists these as being offered between £10 and £23 and should be available at over 30Mbps – more than enough for HD video streaming and most tasks.
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