Pension Age Related Benefits
If you are over the age of 60
<< back to Welfare Benefits page
Energy rebates for pensioners aged 70 or over
From June this year the government will be paying an energy rebate of £80 to pensioners who were (on 26th March 2010) aged 70 or over, in receipt of Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit only), and living in a household where either they or their partner is responsible for paying the electricity bill. The rebate is likely to be automatically added to your bill.
The energy providers involved in this scheme are: Atlantic, British Gas, Ebico, EDF Energy, E.ON, Manweb, M&S Energy, National Trust Green Energy, nPower, nPower Juice, Sainsbury's Energy, Scottish Gas, Scottish Hydro, Scottish Power, Southern Electric, SWALEC, Utility Warehouse.
However, persons who belong to one of the following tariffs do not qualify: energyplus care, Energy Assist, Essentials, Fresh Start, First Step Tariff, Price Promise, Spreading Warmth Tariff, StayWarm (and receiving a social discount), WarmAssist.
For further information about the scheme call the Energy Rebate Scheme helpline on 0845 600 0033. Lines are open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday
If you are over the age of 60, then are you considered to be of pension age. Between 6 April 2010 and 5 April 2020 the age at which you will reach pension age is changing, The Pension Service has a
State Pension age calculator which will tell you the date that you will reach State Pension age. Please see below for a list of benefits that you may be able to claim if you are of pension age. You may also wish to see our other pages entitled
‘Working Age’,
‘Disability and Illness Related’,
‘Housing’,
‘Responsible for Children’, and
‘Social Fund Grants/Loans’.
If you are already getting benefits when you reach the age of 60, you may have a choice to continue getting these benefits, or apply for pension age benefits. For example, after the age of 60 you may no longer be required to look for work, and you can claim Pension Credit to top up your income without having to look for work. However, in some cases if you still wish to look for work you can claim Jobseekers Allowance (Contribution Based) AND Pension Credit at the same time.
Pension Credit
This is for people over the age of 60 to top up your income to a guaranteed minimum amount. Pension Credit is made up of 2 elements: Guarantee Credit; and Savings Credit. You may get one, or both of these elements.
Guarantee Credit this is the minimum amount the government says you should live.
- For a single person, you should have a minimum weekly income of £132.60
- For a couple, you should have a minimum weekly income of £202.40
Your minimum amount (Guarantee Credit) may be higher than this if you are awarded the Severe Disability Premium. You should be awarded the Severe Disability Premium if you and/or your partner are getting any rate Attendance Allowance, or the middle or higher rate Disability Living Allowance (Care Component), and no-one gets Carer’s Allowance for looking after you, and you either live alone, or, the person you live with is registered blind or gets Attendance Allowance/DLA middle or higher rate care component.
Savings Credit may be awarded if you or your partner are aged 65 or over (if you are a couple one person must be over age 60, and the person over age 65) and you have saved for your retirement. This means if you have savings, or non-state pensions.
Between 6 April 2010 and 5 April 2020 the age from which you may get Pension Credit will change. It will gradually rise in line with the increase in the State Pension age for women from 60 to 65. Use the State Pension age calculator to find out more about the rise in women's State Pension age and when you can apply for Pension Credit. The Pension Service has a
State Pension age calculator which will tell you the date that you will reach State Pension age.
State Pension
This is based on National Insurance Contributions that you have paid and it is made up of different elements. You can claim this when you have reached State Pension Age or you can defer it.
What is State Pension Age... ? At the moment the state pension age for men is 65, and 60 for women. However, this is changing from 2010. Those women who were born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1955 (inclusive) will have a State Pension age between 60 and 65. Women born on or after 6 April 1955 and before 6 April 1959 will have a State Pension age of 65. Eventually the State Pension age for both men and women is to increase from 65 to 68 between 2024 and 2046.
The Pension Service has a
State Pension age calculator which will tell you the date that you will reach State Pension age.
Have you reached State Pension Age, and are you still working... ? If you decide to continue working after you have claimed your state pension, your earnings will not affect the amount of State Pension that you will get.
Have you, or do you want to defer your pension... ? If you decide to defer your State Pension for at least 5 weeks when you reach State Pension Age, you can earn extra state pension. The weekly amount you will receive will be higher, but you will not be paid for the weeks you put off claiming it. If you defer claiming for at least 12 months, you may be able to have a choice of either an extra weekly pension, or a one-off lump sum payment when you do finally choose to claim.
Christmas Bonus
This is a tax-free payment of £10 paid to you before Christmas. This is paid automatically if you are in receipt of certain benefits during the ‘qualifying week’. The qualifying week is the week starting on the first Monday in December. In 2010 this will be 6th December. Qualifying benefits include:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance (contribution based)
- Disability Living Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit (long term rate)
- Industrial Death Benefit
- Carers Allowance
- Mobility Supplement
- Pension Credit (guarantee credit)
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance
- War Disablement Pension if aged 65 or over
- War Widow's Pension
- Widow's Pension
- Widowed Mother's Allowance
- Widowed Parent's Allowance
Please note, you will not qualify for the Christmas Bonus on the basis of State Pension entitlement if you are deferring your State Pension claim.
Winter Fuel Payment
A person may qualify for this if they were born on or before 5th July 1950. It is paid every year during the winter months. To be entitled to this, you must have reached the qualifying age during the ‘qualifying week’; this always begins on the third Monday in September. For 2010 this means you need to be aged 60 during 20 September 2010 – 26 September 2010. It is paid to help you with your fuel costs but it does not matter how you use this money. You will not be entitled to this if you are in hospital during the qualifying week and have been there for over 12 months.
Couples who have both reached the qualifying age and who are receiving Pension Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance (income based), or Employment and Support Allowance (income related) will get one payment made to the person receiving that benefit. The other person is not entitled to the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is paid to you automatically at some point during a number of weeks from early November until Christmas. If you have not received your Winter Fuel Payment by Christmas, you will need to claim it by completing a form and returning it before 30th March.
In line with changes to State Pension age for women, the qualifying age for Winter Fuel Payments will rise gradually between 2010 and 2020, from 60 to 65. This means that from winter 2010/11 onwards, both men and women will need to have reached women’s State Pension age by the end of the September qualifying week.
Travel Concessions
Once you are aged 60 you are entitled to free bus travel in England, Wales, and Scotland. If you are not able to use your free bus pass, you may have the option of returning this in exchange for Taxi Vouchers. The Taxi Vouchers may be worth up to £70 for the tax year (April – April). There are certain criteria that you must meet in order to be entitled to these vouchers, and not all Local Authorities may offer this.
Would you like to see if you could be entitled to any of these benefits? Our Welfare Benefits Advisor, Millie can give you advice on what benefits you may be able to claim, and help you to claim them if you would like her to. Millie may also be able to calculate how much you could receive with these benefits. You can contact her either via our Customer Services Team on 0300 123 1222 or via info@muir.org.uk
Remember, it is your responsibility to notify the relevant benefit department of any changes in your circumstance to ensure you are still receiving the correct amount of benefit, to prevent any overpayments, or underpayments from occurring.
