Pensioners must apply for Pension Credit before December 21st, 2024, to automatically receive a Winter Fuel Payment
Unpaid carers eligible for the carer top-up to Pension Credit could receive up to £2,370 a year in addition to Winter Fuel Payments
Carers UK is calling on all older carers to act now to ensure they are not missing out on vital money benefits.
From this Winter, only those receiving Pension Credit or means-tested benefits will receive the one-off Winter Fuel Payment of up to £300 to help pay energy bills, following the Government’s change of policy.
There are 1.2 million unpaid carers over the age of 65 in England and Wales, with 729,000 of those providing over 20 hours care per week and 551,000 providing over 50 hours per week.i Pension Credit uptake is at just 66%, with up to 850,000 people over State Pension age estimated to be missing out.ii
Recent figures from Carers UK show the financial pressure that older carers are already under and the potential challenges they will face if the Winter Fuel Payment is removed from everyone apart from those in receipt of Pension Credit.
Data from the charity’s State of Caring survey shows that 45% of carers aged 65 and over, who are not in receipt of Pension Credit, are worried about living costs and whether they can manage in the future, while 20% have had to cut back on essentials like food or heating.iii
Unpaid carers are more likely to be eligible for Pension Credit. They can also get extra income worth up to £2,371 per year if they meet certain conditions. This top-up, called Carer’s Addition, of £45.60 per week is added to Pension Credit if someone has an underlying entitlement to Carer’s Allowance.
Current benefit rules state that if someone’s State Pension is more than Carer’s Allowance, they are not entitled to be paid Carer’s Allowance. However, carers still need to apply for Carer’s Allowance in order to prove they have an underlying entitlement to the benefit, which would increase their chances of being eligible for Pension Credit and would increase the amount of a Pension Credit award.
The Carers UK website provides further information: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/financial-support/benefits-for-carers-who-are-pension-age/what-is-pension-credit/
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: “As it gets colder, we’re urging all older carers to check whether they might be entitled to Pension Credit even if they think they aren’t and to apply before the December 21st deadline.
“Many older carers struggle to stay warm and make ends meet. This group of carers are doing an incredibly tough job and are also not entitled to receive Carer’s Allowance despite providing substantial amounts of care.
“We’re really worried that this will fast become a “heat or eat” situation for older people with disastrous consequences for their health and wellbeing. It’s incredibly stressful for those who have higher costs due to their caring role.
“Those just above the threshold for Pension Credit will be substantially worse off. We need the Government to look again at their plans and include unpaid carers as one of the priority groups who can keep their Winter Fuel Allowance.”
