BENEFIT CHECK
Three tools that reveal if you could qualify for benefit worth £3,900 that unlocks winter fuel payment
Find out who can't use the tools below
THREE helpful tools could reveal whether you qualify for a benefit that unlocks the winter fuel payment.
Pension Credit is worth on average £3,900 a year and comes with a host of additional perks including a free TV licence for over 74s.
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The Government benefit also opens up the winter fuel payment which is worth up to £300 this year.
Around 800,000 eligible for Pension Credit are yet to claim it, with The Sun launching a campaign to improve uptake.
Luckily though, there is one quick way you can find out whether you might qualify for Government benefits, including Pension Credit.
Three organisations have free-to-use calculators that reveal what benefits you might be eligible for.
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They also tell you how much you might get, how payments could be affected based on earnings or an increase in working hours and how your benefits might be impacted if you experience a change in circumstances.
The three main online calculators you can use are:
You can also access Turn2Us' calculator via The Sun's website.
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What information you will need ready
To help the calculators accurately estimate what benefits you might be entitled to, you will need certain information ready beforehand.
The Government's website says you'll need accurate information about your:
Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence
- savings
- income, including your partner’s (from payslips, for example)
- existing benefits and pensions (including anyone living with you)
- outgoings (such as rent, mortgage, childcare payments)
- Council Tax bill
You should be able to find information about your savings by logging into online banking via your computer or smartphone.
Bear in mind, you can't use the above three calculators if you are a prisoner, student or non-British or Irish citizen.
You also cannot use them if you are on strike, live outside the UK or living permanently in a residential care or nursing home.
What is Pension Credit and who is eligible?
Pension Credit is a government benefit designed to top up your weekly income if you are a state pensioner with low earnings.
The current state pension age is 66.
There are two parts to the benefit - Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.
Guarantee Credit tops up your weekly income to £218.15 if you are single or your joint weekly income to £332.95 if you have a partner.
Savings Credit is extra money you get if you have some savings or your income is above the basic full state pension amount - £169.50.
Savings Credit is only available to people who reached state pension age before April 6, 2016.
Usually, you only qualify for Pension Credit if your income is below the £218.15 or £332.95 thresholds.
However, you can sometimes be eligible for Savings Credit or Guarantee Credit depending on your circumstances.
For example, if you are suffering from a severe disability and claiming Attendance Allowance, as well as other benefits, you can get an extra £81.50 a week.
Meanwhile, you can get either £66.29 a week or £76.79 a week for each child you're responsible and caring for.
The rules behind who qualifies for Pension Credit can be complicated, so the best thing to do is just check.
You can do this by calling the Pension Service helpline on 0800 99 1234 from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday or by using free online calculators.
Those in Northern Ireland have to call the Pension Centre on 0808 100 6165 from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
It might be worth a visit to your local Citizens Advice branch too - its staff should be able to offer you help for free.
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Pension Credit is known as a "gateway" benefit which means it opens up a host of perks, like the winter fuel payment and a free TV licence if you are 75 or older.
It also unlocks discounts on your council tax and the Warm Home Discount, if you are on the Guarantee Credit part of the benefit.
What is the Winter Fuel Payment?
Consumer reporter Sam Walker explains all you need to know about the payment.
The Winter Fuel Payment is an annual tax-free benefit designed to help cover the cost of heating through the colder months.
Most who are eligible receive the payment automatically.
Those who qualify are usually told via a letter sent in October or November each year.
If you do meet the criteria but don't automatically get the Winter Fuel Payment, you will have to on the government's website.
You'll qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment this winter if:
- you were born on or before September 23, 1958
- you lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of September 16 to 22, 2024, known as the "qualifying week"
- you receive Pension Credit, Universal Credit, ESA, JSA, Income Support, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit
If you did not live in the UK during the qualifying week, you might still get the payment if both the following apply:
- you live in Switzerland or a EEA country
- you have a "genuine and sufficient" link with the UK social security system, such as having lived or worked in the UK and having a family in the UK
But there are exclusions - you can’t get the payment if you live in Cyprus, France, Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, Portugal or Spain.
This is because the average winter temperature is higher than the warmest region of the UK.
You will also not qualify if you:
- are in hospital getting free treatment for more than a year
- need permission to enter the UK and your granted leave states that you can not claim public funds
- were in prison for the whole "qualifying week"
- lived in a care home for the whole time between 26 June to 24 September 2023, and got Pension Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Payments are usually made between November and December, with some made up until the end of January the following year.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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