Pensioners missing out on £2.3k a year due to benefits red tape, charity warns

Pensioners who provide unpaid care for a family member or friend could be missing out on crucial financial support and access to Winter Fuel Payments due to benefit red tape rules

Unpaid carers who are pensioners could be missing out on crucial financial support and access to Winter Fuel Payments due to benefit red tape rules, a charity has warned.

Carers UK is particularly concerned about pensioners who are unpaid carers and on low incomes, as they may struggle this winter if they don’t receive Pension Credit along with a second top-up called Carer Addition.

Research by the charity reveals that carers often face high social care costs and additional expenses, such as travel costs when accompanying the person they care for to appointments. It estimates that one in five carers (20 percent) aged 65 and over live in poverty, compared to 13 percent of non-carers.

Currently, only 100,000 unpaid carers who are pensioners receive Pension Credit and the Carer Addition, and the charity fears that many more could be missing out. As a result, it is urging pensioners to check their eligibility for additional support and is providing information to help carers better understand Pension Credit and the extra top up for unpaid carers.

According to the charity, eligible unpaid carers who receive the carer top-up as part of Pension Credit may be entitled to up to £2,370 extra annually, as well as other forms of assistance such as Winter Fuel Payments, housing benefit, and council tax support.

Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, said: "There's no time to lose to make sure that carers apply for Pension Credit, when we know that so many are struggling in poverty in retirement. With the winter coming, and fuel prices still high, they need every penny they can get.

"For pensioners who are unpaid carers, understanding your entitlements is complicated. We’re worried that many more carers will be missing out, but we just don’t know how many.

"Pensioners who are carers have to apply for Carer’s Allowance. They are very likely to be told it won’t be paid, but it will give them underlying entitlement that then potentially entitles them to Pension Credit and the top up, Carer Addition.

"This shines a light on the urgent need for reform of the system when applying for benefits. We've seen the devastating impact of Carer's Allowance overpayments due to poor systems for working age carers. The mind-boggling complexity of benefits for older carers prevents them from getting the help they are entitled to and could be drastically simplified by Government."

For individuals who have reached the state pension age, claiming Pension Credit can help to boost their income if it's low, up to a guaranteed minimum amount set by the Government.

Unpaid carers might be eligible for a higher minimum amount as an extra sum of money known as the Carers Addition is included in the Pension Credit calculation. To receive this carer top-up to Pension Credit, carers must first apply for Carer’s Allowance.

This benefit requires them to spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone with an illness or disability who receives a disability benefit such as Attendance Allowance or Personal Independence Payment at the appropriate levels.

Current benefit rules stipulate that if someone’s State Pension exceeds Carer’s Allowance, they are not entitled to receive Carer’s Allowance. However, carers still need to apply for Carer’s Allowance to demonstrate they have an ‘underlying entitlement’ to the benefit, which could increase their eligibility for Pension Credit and the amount of a Pension Credit award.

The charity highlighted that with the Government tightening entitlement to Winter Fuel Payment, checking eligibility for additional support is particularly crucial as only those receiving Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits will receive this.

To find out if you're eligible for Pension Credit, use the Government's Pension Credit Calculator here or ring the credit claim line on 0800 99 1234. The final date to apply for Pension Credit and still receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter is 21st December 2024, assuming that the Pension Credit is backdated for three months.

You can still claim Pension Credit after this date, but you won't receive this year's Winter Fuel Payment.

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