Pensioner couple missing out on £200 a week have been paid £15,000

Pension Credit: Yvonne on living on the breadline

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Almost one million pensioners are missing out on vital financial support that could be a lifeline to older people who are struggling to make ends meet because of the cost of living crisis. One couple in their late sixties have been missing out on a staggering £200 a week in Pension Credit and have received a lump sum of £15,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after conducting a benefits check.

Campaigners are urging people to check their entitlement to benefits which could be worth thousands of pounds and act as a gateway to other freebies like a free TV licence or free prescriptions.

Millions of pensioners are missing out on free Government money they are entitled to – some 850,000 are estimated to be losing out on Pension Credit alone because they don’t claim it, despite being eligible.

One couple from Lincolnshire recently discovered they had been underpaid £200 a week when they went for a free benefits check. 

Benefits expert Paul Brennan from Benefits Answers told Express.co.uk: “It was Pension Credit that had been underpaid – he was 68 and she was 67 and they were from Lincolnshire.”

He continued: “They only found out when they contacted us for a free check. Eventually, they were back-paid a lump sum of £15,000.”

Unfortunately, cases like these are not unheard of – millions more pensioners could be struggling in silence, unaware they could get financial help.

Benefits that pensioners may be able to claim include Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, Housing Benefit and help towards paying energy bills.

Some 3.4 million older people are also missing out on Attendance Allowance which is the most underclaimed DWP benefit.

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Aleks Clayton, who works as an entitlements advisor for McCarthy Stone, said more need to be done to raise awareness of these benefits, especially Attendance Allowance.

She said “With the current financial pressures it is more important than ever that people receive their full entitlements. There are actually over 50 categories of medical conditions you can claim with, including arthritis and dementia. However, the main issue is a lack of awareness.

“The ‘Winter Fuel Allowance’ has had a lot of publicity from the government, but the same can’t be said for Attendance Allowance. I spoke to over 800 McCarthy Stone customers aged 60 plus last year and almost all were not aware that it existed.”

“Attendance Allowance can make a big difference to people’s lives and can give you back some of your independence and control. It goes without saying that now we are in a cost of living crisis, those I’ve been able to help by telling them what information to include on their forms, are in a much better position than they would have been financially to be able to cope, had they not been claiming the regular monthly benefits they were entitled to.”

Aleks worries that as winter temperatures drop further in January and February, older people will start to feel even more financial pressure.

She added: “The difference between claiming Attendance Allowance and potentially missing out can be as much as £369 per month, which national poverty charity Turn2Us calculates up to 3.4 million people in the UK over the age of 66, could be sitting on.

“Even with the other government support – which includes the second cost of living payment (£324), energy price freeze, Winter Fuel rebate on bills (between £150 and £300), the typical household energy bill will be 83 percent higher than before the cost of living crisis struck.

“So I would encourage anyone to check what they could be entitled to and to ensure they’re receiving the full amount.”

The DWP has confirmed Winter Fuel Payment and Pensioner Cost of Living Payments will start to land in pensioners’ bank accounts from November 23.

Winter Fuel Payments – boosted this year by an additional £300 per household via the Pensioner Cost of Living payment – will land in people’s bank accounts over the next two months, the vast majority automatically.

Some 11.6 million pensioners will receive up to £600 to help pay their energy bills during November and December and should receive the money by January 13, 2023 at the latest.

Anyone who doesn’t receive the £600 Winter Fuel Payment by January 13, 2023 should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre if they think they should qualify.

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