A reminder has been issued to people nearing retirement age that they will soon no longer be able to claim certain benefits.
Brits nearing retirement age are being reminded that they will soon lose eligibility for certain benefits. Some payments will cease once your state pension is received.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed that the State Pension is currently provided to 13 million people across the UK. This regular payment is valued at up to £230.25 per week for those on the New State Pension (claimed after 6 April 2016), or £176.45 weekly for the Basic State Pension (Category A or B).
The amount you receive from this contributory benefit depends on the number of National Insurance years you have accumulated before reaching the current retirement age of 66. As reported by the Daily Record, a minimum of 10 years is required to qualify for any State Pension payment.
For those approaching the official retirement age later this year, it’s crucial to understand which benefits will continue, new ones you may now be eligible for, and those you can no longer apply for. Your State Pension age aligns with your Pension Credit qualifying age unless you’re a man born prior to 6 December 1953.
You can check your State Pension age and whether you’re eligible to start claiming Pension Credit on the ‘Check your State Pension age’ page of the GOV.UK website.
Benefits affected by your pension age
Turn2us has created an essential guide showing which benefits you cannot claim from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after reaching State Pension age or Pension Credit age. For full information on each area covered below, visit the Turn2us website here.
Pension Credit age
After reaching State Pension age you are no longer entitled to claim:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Universal Credit
Turn2us clarifies: “If you live with a partner and one of you is pension age and the other is not yet pension age, benefit entitlement can be complicated.”
State Pension age
After reaching State Pension age you can no longer claim:
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Contributory/New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You cannot make a new application for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP) – the Scottish disability benefit which has now taken over all new PIP applications for Scottish residents – once you have reached State Pension age.
However, if you were already getting DLA, PIP, or ADP you may continue your claim even though you are over State Pension age. This is only allowed if you are claiming for the same health conditions you got the original award for and your previous claim ended less than 12 months before reaching State Pension age.
Those living in Scotland who are currently on DLA or PIP will be moved to the new devolved Social Security Scotland system this Spring. Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance also stop being available once you reach State Pension age.
Benefits not affected by your State Pension age
Even if you’re over State Pension age, you can still claim these benefits:
- Child Benefit (administered by HMRC)
- Carer’s Allowance – your eligibility for the full financial component may be affected by your State Pension income
- Guardian’s Allowance
- Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
You can also claim these benefits even if you’re over State Pension age, but only if you meet the specific income threshold for each benefit:
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Support
- Support for Mortgage Interest
- Help with Health Costs
- Winter Heating Payment – exclusive to Scotland
- Cold Weather Payment – only in England and Wales
- Warm Home Discount Scheme
- Winter Fuel Payment – from this year, only those over State Pension age who receive Pension Credit or other qualifying income-related benefits will get the money
- Pension Age Winter Heating Payment – only in Scotland, with the same qualifying rules as Winter Fuel Payment
For more information about benefits when you reach State Pension age, visit the Turn2Us website here.