Thanet council’s Community Services team have identified more than 300 households with people eligible for Pension Credit but who were not currently receiving it.
Further work has been undertaken by the Benefits team to signpost people to relevant information. The Tenant and Leaseholder Services team is contacting individuals that may be eligible for Pension Credit and providing assistance with applications.
People have until Saturday 21 December to claim Pension Credit and still qualify for this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.
The decision by the government to limit payment of the Winter Fuel Payment to people in receipt of Pension Credit, or another means-tested benefit, means eligible individuals could be missing out. It was previously automatically given to anyone of State Pension age.
Pension Credit gives people extra money to help with living costs, if they are over State Pension age and on a low income. Once someone is receiving Pension Credit they are also entitled to other help such as housing benefit, Council Tax discount, support for mortgage interest, free TV licence, help with heating costs, NHS dental treatment, glasses and transportation costs.
Social Enterprise Kent is running an in-person, Pension Credit drop in session at 63-65 High Street, Margate tomorrow {November 21} between 1pm and 4pm.
Anyone who wishes to apply for Pension Credit must bring the following to complete their application:
- Last three months of bank statements
- National Insurance number
- Savings information i.e. details of ISAs, etc.
The council says its aim has been to reach people with methods including social media messaging, sharing national campaign information from the Department for Work and Pensions and promoting drop-in sessions being run by voluntary sector organisations. It has also featured in the council’s regular residents’ e-newsletter The Wave.
A report outlining all of the activities undertaken by Thanet council to increase the take up of those entitled to Pension Credit within the district, will be presented to Councillors at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 28 November.
Cllr Heather Keen, Cabinet Member for Community at Thanet District Council said: “At a time when people are really struggling with living costs, it’s really important that they’re not missing out on benefits they’re entitled to. #
“We know that as well as pensioners, there will be people below pension age who will be worried about the cost of food and heating this winter. I would urge everyone to spread the word about the deadline. I’d also ask that we all check in with older friends and family who might be unaware about the different types of support on offer. There are so many ways to get help.”
People receiving certain benefits, including Pension Credit, could also be eligible for extra money to help keep warm during the cold weather, until the end of March 2025.
Cold Weather Payments of £25 are paid automatically to eligible households when the average temperature where they live has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days.
There is more information on Pension Credit on the government’s website: www.gov.uk/pension-credit
Thanet District Council also has information on cost-of-living support, benefits and discounts available for residents. See www.thanet.gov.uk/cost-of-living to find out more.
None of this alters the fact that only 8% of pensioners are eligible for this. 92% of pensioners will lose the winner fuel payments. The introduction of means testing is disgraceful and these eligibility tests are just a cover for an appalling set of cuts. Tax the rich, cut the arms budget and support the vulnerable.
Love the fact that the Labour Councillors are promoting this without any sense of shame. Their party has put many pensioners who are just over the benefits threshold into fuel poverty this winter in a completely avoidable move.
Billions spent on giving public sector workers inflation busting pay rises to keep their Union masters happy but swiped cash from our older people who we should be looking after.
Shame on polly Billington mp for voting to cut winter fuel payments to pensioners. Official figures show 100,000 more pensioners will be in poverty, many in Thanet
But in the real world , there are around 13 million people of pension age in the UK, so the 100,000 you quote is less than 1% of pensioners would be seen as suffering disproportionately as a result of the cut, how many of those would be elegiible for support via other means? Leaving a tiny number truly disadvantaged.
Surely even you would agree that a benefit that only really helped 1 % of those it was aimed at was poorly targetted and that it would surely be better to get rid of the universality and instead give a bit more to the very needy ( though of course that wasn’t done).
On tha same basis why aren’t you calling for so ial care to be free for all, or do away with inheritance tax entirely, etc etc, decisions need to be made because there is only a finite amount of money to spend.
Yes, i believe in free care for everybody in the care sector, its called the national health service
Barry ,I for once totally agree with you,twice in one day,miracles do happen
Apologies my typo left the C out of social, my point was why is there not universal free social care, rather than relying on those with hard earned assets to prop up the system
For once I agree Peace! I have decided to wait and rot away in my own home rather than be forced to use my savings, and sell my bungalow to pay for “care”. Why should I have to, when someone in the next room who doesn’t have any money, or property, get the same care for free?
Why should it be down to the individual to check if they are entitled to it ? Surely the government departments know if you are entitled to it, so it should be given automatically.
Government departments are too compartmented and don’t/can’t talk to each other easily, plus they’ll not know about bank balances, investments etc to determine a persons means.
Most pensioners will either be capable of applying or have friends /relatives who can do so for them.
Of course the simplest way of clawing a bit back would have been to do it through the tax system. If you make a tax return as a pensioner then you have an extra 300 taken in tax if your income exceeds a specified level.
But what about the other oddities, eg a pensioner in new efficient state subsidised social housing, do they need another freebie?
“Freebie” As most of them worked all their life and “paid into the system” why shouldn’t that get what they paid in for.
Do “illegals” really get “all the freebies going”? If so, what are those “freebies”?
By the way, people don’t arrive in dingys.
Sorry, they must cross the channel by some other means.
My 1.04 comment is a reply to a comment that has been removed.
Then by same logic why do those that have worked all their lives and paid into the system have to pay for social care if they have assets? My point was that a pensioner living in a new efficient council home is already benefitting from a substantial benefit and will be in less need of financial assistance than another pensioner living in their own old home which requires much more energy to heat and for which they have to pay all the maintenance and repair costs.
The system is riddled with complexity , waste and instances where people lose out. Only by giving everyone everything do you stop that but that’s unaffordable.
Why should a pensioner have to ask someone, a relative, a neighbour perhaps to fill in an Online form with their personal details about their medical conditions for them? I would not do it, thats my business and not anyone else’s!
Barry is right, we pensioners have paid for a service, its called the National Health Service, and for many we are not getting it! On the Politics Live show a short while ago, a Labour minister said there are 800,000 people not receiving Pension Credit, because they can’t access the Internet! This is major tragedy, millions of older people do not have a computer, or know how to use one, let alone use a QERTY keyboard, and are treated as 2nd rate citizens! Recently a GP Practice without notice stopped patients using “Paper” Repeat Prescriptions, and told them to use the Internet instead! What arrogance! This has caused real anxiety, and distress for mostly elderly people who cannot access the Internet, why not give people a choice?
Won’t be long before the useless bone idle scum of the earth will receive more than £12500 then they will end up paying tax on the benefits , then they are will complain about being cold and Starmer will say the richer must pay more