Your assist helps us to inform the story
From reproductive rights to local weather change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the bottom when the story is growing. Whether it is investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our newest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a lightweight on the American girls combating for reproductive rights, we all know how necessary it’s to parse out the information from the messaging.
At such a essential second in US historical past, we’d like reporters on the bottom. Your donation permits us to maintain sending journalists to talk to either side of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans throughout the whole political spectrum. And not like many different high quality information shops, we select to not lock Americans out of our reporting and evaluation with paywalls. We consider high quality journalism must be out there to everybody, paid for by those that can afford it.
Your assist makes all of the distinction.
Pensioners are being urged to not miss a key deadline on Saturday that would assist them to entry the winter gasoline fee – in the event that they make a profitable pension credit score software.
The cut-off for making a declare for pension credit score to qualify for the 2024/25 winter gasoline fee falls on December 21.
The deadline for on-line functions is 11.59pm on December 21.
We proceed to induce anybody who thinks they might be entitled to pension credit score to verify now
Government spokesperson
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has additionally mentioned that declare cellphone strains will likely be open on December 21, working from 8am to three.15pm.
The Government estimates that 760,000 pensioner households are eligible for pension credit score however don’t declare it.
In July, Chancellor Rachel Reeves introduced the winter gasoline allowance for pensioners can be restricted to solely these claiming pension credit score or different means-tested advantages, as a part of measures aimed toward filling a “black gap” within the public funds.
The variety of pensioners in receipt of the fee is predicted to fall by round 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million.
A Government spokesperson mentioned: “Over a million pensioners will nonetheless obtain the winter gasoline fee, and our drive to spice up pension credit score take-up has seen functions greater than double with over 40,000 extra pensioners now receiving it, in addition to the winter gasoline fee.
“We proceed to induce anybody who thinks they might be entitled to pension credit score to verify now, as all eligible claims might be backdated, and anybody who makes a profitable declare earlier than December 21 will obtain their fee.”
Pension credit score provides pensioners on low incomes a top-up, in addition to being a gateway to different assist with prices.
Even a declare for a small quantity of pension credit score top-up throughout the ‘qualifying week’ of September 16 to 22 ought to set off a winter gasoline fee price as much as £300
Tom Selby, AJ Bell
Earlier this week, Jon Greer, head of retirement coverage at Quilter, mentioned: “It is vitally necessary that pensioners on low incomes verify their eligibility.”
Pension credit score tops up weekly incomes to £218.15 for a single pensioner or £332.95 for a joint weekly earnings for these with a accomplice.
Tom Selby, director of public coverage at AJ Bell, mentioned earlier this week: “Even a declare for a small quantity of pension credit score top-up throughout the ‘qualifying week’ of September 16 to 22 ought to set off a winter gasoline fee price as much as £300.
“Because of the way in which the backdating guidelines work, the deadline for making a declare for this era is… on December 21.”
The Government mentioned it has deployed round 500 extra employees to assist processing functions.
Disabled pensioners are supported by further incapacity advantages and may be entitled to pension credit score relying on their circumstances.
Pensioners – and their households – can discover out extra about claiming pension credit score at gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim.
