Urgent two-week warning for thousands of people to claim £299 free cash and benefits worth £3,900
HUNDREDS of thousands of Brits have just two weeks to qualify for £299 living expenses and unlock benefits worth £3,900.
Retirees who receive a pension credit are eligible for the final installment of living expenses.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), around 99% of eligible people have already received the money.
It will be distributed automatically from February 6, or February 16 for those with tax credits, and all payments will be sent by February 22.
But submitting a successful application for a pension credit before March 5 could mean 850,000 Britons could still get the money.
Under government rules, recipients of the free money must have been entitled to one of the qualifying benefits between November 13 and December 12 last year to be eligible.
However, a successful application for a pension credit can be made backdated for up to three months, meaning it falls within the qualifying period.
Once your claim has been approved, you will automatically receive the payment of €299.
Unfortunately, you cannot make claims to receive the previous two installments of the £901 package retroactively.
Are you missing out on benefits?
You can use a benefit calculator to check whether you are not missing out on money you are entitled to.
Charity The Turn2Us benefits calculator figuring out what you could get.
Entitlement is free calculator calculates whether you are eligible for various benefits, tax credits and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefit tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use The Policy in Practice calculator to find out not only what benefits you can receive, but also to find out how much money you have left every month after paying your housing costs.
Exactly what you are entitled to will not become clear until you make a claim, but calculators can give you an indication of what you may be eligible for.
Eligibility for living expenses payments isn't the only benefit of applying either.
Pension Credit is worth around £3,900 per year on average and offers many other benefits such as council tax reductions and help with energy costs.
There are also other bonuses available, such as cold weather payments, free NHS dental treatment and a free TV license.
The most recent figures show that 850,000 pensioners are missing out on this benefit.
Who is eligible for a pension discount?
Anyone over state pension age who lives in England Scotland of Wales is eligible for a pension credit.
The state pension age is currently 66 for both men and women.
To qualify, you must have a weekly income of less than €201.05 for singles or €306.85 for couples.
Your estimated income may include:
- Your state pension
- Any other pensions you have saved, for example pension savings at the workplace or privately
- Most social security benefits, for example the informal care allowance
- All savings or investments worth more than € 10,000
- Income from a job
The calculation does not include:
- Attendance allowance
- Christmas bonus
- Housing benefit for the disabled
- Personal independence allowance
- Rent subsidy
- Municipal tax reduction
If your income is too high to get pension credit, you may still be able to get some savings pension credit, so it's worth checking.
Previously, couples where one person had reached state pension age could claim retirement age, but new rules now mean that both people in a couple must be over retirement age to apply.
This means that if you are single and live with a partner who is younger than the state pension age, you are no longer eligible.
But if you are already receiving a pension under the old system, this will not stop unless your circumstances change.
How much can you get in pension credit?
The pension credit consists of two parts and retirees may be eligible for one or both parts.
- Guarantee credit – supplements your weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level. This is £201.05 per week if you are single and £306.85 per week for married couples.
- Savings credit – offers extra money if you have saved money for your pension. You can get an extra £15.94 per week for a single person or £17.84 per week for a married couple.
You can also receive an additional pension discount if you are disabled, have caring responsibilities or have to pay certain housing costs, such as mortgage interest.
How do I register?
You can apply for a pension discount up to four months before you reach state pension age.
Applications for pension credit can be made on the government website or by calling the pension credit line on 0800 99 1234.
You will need:
- Your citizen service number
- Information about any income, savings and investments you have
- Information about your income, savings and investments on the date on which you want to submit your retroactive application (usually 3 months ago or the date on which you reached state pension age)
Your partner must also provide their details if you have them.
How do I get paid?
Normally your benefit is deposited into your bank account approximately every four weeks.
When you make a claim you will be asked to provide your bank account details.
Concessions are sometimes made to people who do not have access to a bank account.
Meanwhile, millions of households will start receiving their third cost of living payment from this week.
Plus, we reveal exactly who will get the final installment of living expenses.
Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.
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