BANK BOOST
Nine state pension freebies and discounts worth £11,600 you can get NOW – including benefit that unlocks free TV licence
Plus, you could get help with your energy bills
MILLIONS of pensioners in the UK may be eligible for financial benefits, discounts and freebies totalling more than £11,600.
Individuals who have reached the state pension age can take advantage of a huge range of opportunities.
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The state pension is a weekly payment from the government designed to provide a retirement income to support individuals from the age of 66.
The full rate of the new state pension is £221.20 per week, amounting to £11,501 annually.
While the state pension provides a basic retirement income, it may not be sufficient for a comfortable retirement.
However, there are additional ways to supplement this income, including various benefits and discounts.
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We've compiled a list of nine freebies and discounts that total £11,668 for those receiving the state pension.
However, it's important to remember that eligibility for these benefits may vary, and not all pensioners will qualify for every offer.
1. Benefit boost - £5,644.60
If you're on certain benefits, you might be eligible for top-ups, or what's called a disability premium.
Roughly six million people across the UK receive disability benefits which are exempt from tax.
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But you'll need to be receiving PIP alongside Pension Credit to qualify.
You should get in touch with the DWP if you're not sure what help you're entitled to.
You may need to send them a copy of your PIP award letter.
When you reach state pension age (currently 66) you may also be entitled to attendance allowance if you have health conditions.
It is a government benefit designed to cover extra costs associated with having a disability.
You are eligible if you've reached state pension age and the following apply:
- You have a physical disability (including sensory disability, for example blindness), a mental disability (including learning difficulties), or both
- Your disability is severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, for your own or someone else’s safety
- You have needed that help for at least six months
You must also:
- Be in Great Britain when you claim
- Have been in Great Britain for at least two of the last three years (this does not apply if you’re a refugee or have humanitarian protection status)
- Be habitually resident in the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
- Not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant)
- Not be receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
If you have been told by a medical professional that you have 12 months or less to live, you can start receiving Attendance Allowance faster and at a higher rate.
Bear in mind that you won't normally be eligible for attendance allowance if you live in a care home and your care is paid for by your local authority.
However, if you pay for all care home costs yourself, you can apply for the benefit.
Attendance Allowance can be worth up to £5,644.60 a year.
Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence
2. Pension Credit - £3,900
Pension credit is available to people over the state pension age who live in England, or Wales.
It tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single and £332.95 if you are in a couple.
You should be eligible for the benefit if your income is lower than this.
It can be worth around £3,900 a year on average and unlocks many other benefits, such as council tax reductions and help with energy costs.
Below is a list of circumstances that impact how much you're entitled to:
- Your state pension
- Any other pensions you have saved, for instance, workplace or private pension savings
- Most social security benefits, for example, carer's allowance
- Any savings or investments worth over £10,000
- Earnings from a job
You could get the "Savings Credit" part of Pension Credit if both of the following apply:
- You reached state pension age before April 6, 2016
- You saved some money for retirement, for example, a personal or workplace pension
This part of pension credit is worth £17.01 a week for single-person households, or £19.04 for couples.
You may also get additional pension credit if you are disabled, have caring responsibilities or have to pay certain housing costs such as mortgage interest payments.
Eligibility for pension credit also opens up eligibility for a free TV licence for those over the age of 75.
How do I apply for pension credit?
YOU can start your application up to four months before you reach state pension age.
Applications for pension credit can be made on the government website or by ringing the pension credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.
You can get a friend or family member to ring for you, but you'll need to be with them when they do.
You'll need the following information about you and your partner if you have one:
- National Insurance number
- Information about any income, savings and investments you have
- Information about your income, savings and investments on the date you want to backdate your application to (usually three months ago or the date you reached state pension age)
If you claim after you reach pension age, you can backdate your claim for up to three months.
3. National Insurance cut - £1,394.40
When you've reached state pension age, you no longer pay National Insurance (NI), even if you're still working.
This can mean a pretty big cut to your annual tax bill.
The threshold for NI payments is currently £12,570 a year for employed workers.
If you're earning £30,000 a year you would save £1,394.40.in the 2024/25 tax year.
NI only applies to employment income - so if you retire before state pension age, and you only earn an income from pensions, you won't have to pay it.
4. Football discounts - up to £295
Watching your favourite football team can be pretty costly, especially if they're in the Premier League.
But many clubs in the UK offers discounts for people over the age of 65.
For example, Newcastle United offers over-65s a 25% discount on the standard price of a ticket.
Seasons tickets for Everton in the 2022/23 season were priced at £330 for fans who are 65 and over, whilst a full-priced adult season ticket ranges from £465 to £625.
5. Free prescriptions - worth £119
Once you reach 60, you can get free prescriptions from your local pharmacy - prescriptions usually cost £9.90 each in England.
So if you usually buy a single prescription each month you could save £118.80 over the year.
This benefit is automatic and there's no need to apply.
If you're 60 or over you're also entitled to a free NHS sight test, so you should let your optician know when you reach 60 if you haven't already.
Eye tests can usually cost between £20 and £30.
6. Free bus pass - £128
In England, you can get a bus pass for free travel when you reach the State Pension age.
Plus, if you live in London, you can travel free on buses, tubes and other transport when you’re 60 - but only within London.
In Wales, you can get a bus pass when you reach 60.
You get an older person’s bus pass when you’re 60 if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
You can apply for the pass via your local council's website which will have more information.
Make sure to check the website or phone your local council if you have any questions.
How much you save will depend on how much you use the pass.
But the average person with a concessionary bus pass made 64 journeys in the year to March 2022.
That's the equivalent to an annual saving of a £128, with the average bus ticket currently costing £2.
7. Discounted rail fare - £142
Pensioners with a Senior Railcard can get discounted rail fares.
There is an annual cost of £30 for the card and gets you 1/3 off train travel.
People with a Senior Railcard save on average £142 a year, according to the government.
The Senior Railcard is available to travellers aged 60 or over.
You can apply for the card on the National Rail website.
8. Cold weather payment - £25
When temperatures plummet, households across the country could be entitled to extra cash through the cold weather payment.
The money from the government is worth £25 and people on pension credit are eligible.
It is dished out when temperatures are recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees or below, on average, for seven consecutive days.
You get £25 for each seven-day period where the weather is below zero Celsius on average during this time frame.
You don’t need to apply for the cold weather payment as it’s paid automatically to those who are eligible.
9. Discounted days out and cinema tickets - £20
People aged over 60 can get discounted days out and cinema tickets.
If you're an existing National Trust member aged 60 or over, and you've been a member for at least the last three years, you can ask for 25% off your subscription.
This means that you’ll pay £63 for individual senior membership instead of £84 and £104.40 for joint senior membership instead of £139.20.
Empire has special senior screenings for over-60s every Wednesday morning and tickets cost £3.75.
Odeon also holds weekly "Silver Cinema" screenings for over-60s with ticket prices starting at £3.50.
Both cinemas also provide free refreshments too.
Plus, Vue cinemas senior screenings are discounted for over 60s and include a cup of tea and a biscuit.
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While Showcase offers senior admission every Monday to any standard film starting before 12pm and it costs £5.
You can find your nearest branches using the locator tool on the website.
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