Charity calls for new Pension Credit strategy to help more older people claim £3,500 income top-up
dailyrecord.co.ukThe Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently said that an estimated 850,000 older people on a low income could be eligible for an annual top-up of around £3,500 through Pension Credit - and the next cost of living payment worth £300.
The DWP announced earlier this week that payments for the second part of the £900 cost of living payment will be made between October 31 and November 19, 2023.Some 1.4 million older people across Great Britain, including more than 127,000 living in Scotland currently in receipt of Pension Credit, could be due the £300 automatic payment in the next few weeks.
However, it also means that now that the qualifying period has been announced, new claims for Pension Credit made before mid-December, which later turn out to be successful, will also qualify for the £300 payment - even if their benefit award is just a few pence.
However, the charity Independent Age says the UK Government needs to put a new plan in place to urgently address the growing numbers of pensioners in poverty.
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