Pension Credit - #CreditWhereItsDue
Published on 15 December 2019 10:08 AM
Last month we highlighted that, from June 2020, TV licences will no longer be free for people aged 75+ unless they are in receipt of Pension Credit. Independent Age recently started their #CreditWhereItsDue social media campaign and we’re going to do what we can to make sure that everyone knows about the income-based benefit and can claim it, if they want. Figures compiled by Independent Age (on a constituency basis) make for shocking reading. What does that mean in Nottinghamshire? There are 22,012 households who could potentially claim Pension Credit but aren’t. That amounts to almost £52 million of unclaimed benefit in our county alone. Here’s the breakdown:
Constituency | Number of household who could claim | Value of unclaimed benefits (£) |
Ashfield | 2446 | 5,379,845 |
Bassetlaw | 2248 | 4,969,142 |
Broxtowe | 1654 | 3,690,003 |
Gedling | 1797 | 3,898,201 |
Mansfield | 2295 | 5,236,086 |
Newark | 1710 | 3,844,723 |
Nottingham East | 2169 | 6,309,628 |
Nottingham North | 2786 | 6,942,754 |
Nottingham South | 1987 | 5,247,299 |
Rushcliffe | 1258 | 2,810,665 |
Sherwood | 1662 | 3,538,922 |
Source: Independent Age |
The TV Licence currently costs £154.50 so it will be a help to many over 75s to continue to receive that benefit. Pension Credit can be worth between £40 and £65 per week (depending on circumstances). We’ll be launching an awareness campaign in the next few weeks – what can you do?
- Familiarise yourself with the eligibility criteria – do that here: www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/benefits-entitlements/pension-credit/
- Spread the word amongst your clients, family and friends
- Share our messages on social media so more people hear about Pension Credit
- Signpost people to us if they need help (but this is a straightforward claim process, which should help)