The Royal Borough of Greenwich has helped hundreds of pensioners across the borough get vital unclaimed Pension Credit payments through one-to-one support.
Since April 2022, the Council has helped 163 pensioners get over £740,000 in Pension Credit, to support them through the ongoing cost of living crisis, with more work still being done.
Since then, the Council has joined a city-wide campaign launched in February 2023 by the Mayor of London to ensure residents over the age of 66 were not missing out on Pension Credit, allowing them to support a further 58 pensioners gaining them an additional £3,434 a year to increase their income.
Councillor Mariam Lolavar, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business and Skills said: “By joining the Pension Take Up campaign, we have supported pensioners as they claim potentially life changing cash support.
“These efforts have been linked to our growing cost of living campaign Greenwich Supports, as we continue to focus local efforts to protecting our most vulnerable resident.
“We’ll continue towards ensuring those in financial need can access the right support, advice and opportunities to improve their situation, as promised in our corporate plan, Our Greenwich.”
Deven Ghelani, Director of Policy in Practice, said: “We are delighted to have helped put £8.4m into the pockets of 2,165 pensioners across London. We are thrilled to have helped these households, who will now get almost £4,000 in additional support every year following this Pension Credit take up campaign.
“We welcome the Mayor’s decision to expand the campaign into the autumn, continuing to grow the incomes of Londoners during this ongoing cost of living crisis. It’s heartening to know that the results achieved in the capital are easily replicable across the country.
Pension Credit is known as a passport benefit, allowing pensioners to access other support such as a free TV Licence, Cold Weather Payments and more. Payments can also be backdated.
Working with Age UK and Policy in Practice, the Council has been able to reach 362 eligible households in Royal Greenwich.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This has been a hugely successful campaign that has secured more than £8 million in unclaimed benefits for older Londoners on the lowest incomes, who are disproportionately feeling the cost of living squeeze.
“I am pleased that we will now be extending the scheme to thousands more older Londoners who may not know they are eligible to receive Pension Credit or how to claim it. This is part of my commitment to continue building a better and more prosperous London for everyone.”
Abi Wood, CEO of Age UK London, said: “Receiving Pension Credit makes a significant difference to the lives of older Londoners on low incomes. It can be transformative for many, making life a little easier and crucially opening the doors to vital additional support.
“We are delighted that this scheme has been so successful and even more effective than anticipated. This success is particularly welcome in London, where we have some of the highest poverty rates in the country for people of pension age.”
Do you have a relative or friend that’s 66+? Why not encourage them to check if they are eligible for Pension Credit, even if they aren’t currently benefit recipients.
Have any questions?
Call the Council, 020 8921 6375, on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, from 10am to 1pm. Or, visit on of our Advice Hubs for in person support: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/advicehubs
You will need your National Insurance number, information about your income, savings and investments and your bank account details.
