Don't miss out on pension credit
7 JUNE 2022 12:00
Don't miss out on pension credit
Pensioners in Ceredigion could be missing out on thousands of pounds a year by not claiming pension credit.
Despite people aged 65 and over making up more than a quarter of the county’s population, the take up for pension credit remains low compared to the rest of Wales.
Now Ceredigion Citizens Advice and Age Cymru Dyfed are urging local pensioners to check if they are eligible for this benefit.
Pension credit can be worth over £3,300 a year, but around a third of people who are eligible fail to claim it, say the Department of Work and Pensions.
According to Welsh government figures 6.8% of the Ceredigion population aged over 60 claim pension credit compared to 8.3% in Wales, while those claiming pension and savings credit is just 9.2% compared to 13.6% in the rest of the country.
During last year, from April 2021 to March 2022, Ceredigion Citizens Advice advised just over 100 pensioners about pension credit.
The charity’s chief executive Juliet Morris said: “Given the proportionately older population in Ceredigion and relatively low wages in the local economy, it’s not just our older people who are missing out but also the local shops and communities in which they spend their money. It also means we have hundreds of older people living below what the government believes is an acceptable minimum standard. We want to change that.”
Simon Wright, chief executive officer of Age Cymru Dyfed said: “We’d encourage older people on limited income to seek advice and guidance to see if they qualify for Pension Credit. 9 out of 10 applications are successful. Last year, Age Cymru Dyfed helped older people apply for £146,000 through Pension Credit. As a first step, please ask us for our information guide “Pension Credit – Extra money if you’re on a low income.”
Check your eligibility at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/pension-credit/ or www.gov.uk/pension-credit.
Ceredigion Citizens Advice can be contacted on enquiries@cabceredigion.org or 01239 621974.
Age Cymru Dyfed can be contacted on reception@agecymrudyfed.org.uk or 03333 447 874.