To help even more people of State Pension age access support worth around £3,300 on average each year, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has introduced a new interactive Pension Credit claim form which can be completed online, downloaded and posted to the Pension Service.
This could be useful for those who cannot claim the benefit online or over the phone as progress on the 24-page application form can be saved and completed at a later time - find out more about this here.
Last month, the DWP confirmed that additional resources have been brought in to help process new claims for Pension Credit which it said are at “an all time high” following the success of a summer campaign to drive take-up of the benefit designed for people of State Pension age on a low income.
The Department also confirmed that new claims for Pension Credit made before December 19, which later turn out to be successful, will qualify for the second cost of living payment of £324.The new interactive claim form could also help more people complete the application process for an older family member or someone who does not have access to the internet, something the DWP highlighted in a recent post on social media.The DWP’s official Twitter account posted: “Could someone in your family be eligible for and missing out on #PensionCredit? “Talk to them about checking their eligibility online today or call 0800 99 1234.” A successful claim for Pension Credit acts as a ‘passport’ to other financial support including Council Tax reductions, help with housing and mortgage payments, discounted NHS treatments and free TV Licences for the over-75s.The latest figures released by the DWP indicate that £1.7 billion is being left unclaimed by around 850,000
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