Bury residents urged to claim ‘pension top up’
It is estimated that more than £4m of pension credit is currently unclaimed in Bury. The main reason older people don’t claim is that they don’t think they are eligible. When it comes to finance and benefits, older people are most likely to respond to one-to-one prompting from family and friends or from trusted local contacts.
The campaign encourages everyone to ask their older family, friends and customers, ‘have you topped up?’.
Pension credit is designed to increase the weekly income of pensioners and could make those eligible £34 a week better off on average. In addition to the extra weekly cash, Person credit also unlocks other financial benefits including a free tv license for over 75s, council tax support, and money towards green home insulation.
To check if you or someone you know are getting all the entitlements you are due, contact Independent Age freephone helpline:
0800 319 6789
Important Additional Information:
To qualify for the first cost of living payment, worth £326, people must be entitled to a payment of Pension Credit in respect of any day in the month ending 25 May. Claims for Pension Credit can be backdated for a maximum of 3 months, provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout the 3 months. This means that, to guarantee that 25 May will be included in the first Pension Credit payment, claims for backdating need to be made by no later than 18 August.
