DWP has received around 150,000 Pension Credit claims in the 16 weeks since the announcement on 29 July (which is up to and including end of week beginning 11 November 2024), an 145% rise compared to around 61,300 Pension Credit claims in the 16 weeks before the announcement.
The number of cleared Pension Credit claims has also increased from around 63,100 in the 16 weeks before the 29th July announcement to 95,300 in the 16 week since the announcement, a 51% growth rate. The number of Pension Credit claims awarded has increased by 17% (from 36,400 to 42,500).
Stephen Lowe, group communications director at retirement specialist Just Group, commented: “The spotlight on the take up of Pension Credit is harsher since the Government limited the winter fuel payments to people who are in receipt of Pension Credit or certain other means-tested benefits. For many pensioners the winter fuel payment gives them the confidence to keep their homes warm during the colder months knowing they can pay the bill. With around 700,000 families eligible for Pension Credit but failing to claim it, we may be looking at more than a million pensioners unnecessarily afraid to put on the heating this winter.
“They may be failing to claim for a number of reasons – they may simply be unaware of the benefit, assume they are not eligible or not know how to claim. Our own research among over-65s found that nearly four in 10 (38%) homeowners and one in seven (15%) of renters had never checked their benefit entitlement. The Government’s Awareness Drive is clearly having some positive impact with claims volumes increasing noticeably, but it is important that targeted help reaches those who need it most and there are a range of free resources to help people and families check eligibility if they suspect elderly relatives may be missing out on valuable support. The government website has links to useful third-party calculators (https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators) while other good sources are Citizens Advice, local councils and charities.”
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