It’s time to Give Credit Where It’s Due
As we hand in our open letter signed by over 3,500 Independent Age campaigners to Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, our Campaigns Officer Kristyna Steflova explains why an action plan on Pension Credit is so needed.
On 27th April, the Campaigns team at Independent Age handed in an open letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary of State, Mel Stride, calling on him to make sure everyone who is eligible to receive Pension Credit does so. Thanks to some incredible support from our campaigners, the letter is backed by over 3,500 people.
Pension Credit is a lifeline to older people who are on a low income. As a weekly income top-up, it helps people meet their basic needs, such as buying nutritious food or heating their home. Over 1.4 million older people across Great Britain receive Pension Credit, and they tell us that this extra income makes all the difference.
On of these people is Thabani, who joined us on the day:
“Pension Credit has really helped me in lots of ways. Especially as it’s a top up for my State Pension and my disability allowance, which was never enough on its own. With Pension Credit I also get council tax reduction. It’s been a great help.”
“I’ve been fundraising for Independent Age from December last year, when I was part of the BBC Lifeline appeal, after they helped me to apply for Pension Credit. I want to help raise awareness for this benefit, because people don’t know what to claim for. Help is out there, people must not struggle alone. I want to help others realise that there is hope, and that things can get better for older people in financial disadvantage.”
At Independent Age we have been campaigning for the UK Government to increase Pension Credit uptake since 2019. Thousands of our campaigners have written to their MPs about this important issue, we’ve shared our findings and recommendations politicians and committees for important debates and inquiries and we’ve secured regular national media coverage to keep a spotlight on this issue. Since we began our campaign, some positive progress has been made including the DWP conducting a communications review and investing in short term bursts of awareness activity — but still we believe too many people are still missing out.
It is concerning that the Government’s most recent statistics about Pension Credit relate to 2019/20, meaning we don’t have a full picture of just how many people are currently missing out on this vital financial support right now. What is even more alarming, is over the last decade, roughly £28 billion in Pension Credit has failed to reach those who are entitled to it.
During the last fiscal year alone, Independent Age estimates that £1,135,000,000 has not reached hundreds of thousands of people eligible for Pension Credit. When thinking about the average heating bill, could have been used to heat over 450,000 homes.
Behind these enormous numbers, are individual older people up and down the country. For a single person in later life, receiving Pension Credit — and the other forms of financial support it is linked to — can be worth over £12,000 a year. This is because on top of weekly Pension Credit payments, receiving it opens the door to other entitlements such as reduced Council Tax, a free TV Licence for people over 75, Housing Benefit and a contribution towards glasses and dental treatment.
The government has made some progress in raising awareness of Pension Credit, but there is still a long way to go. We need a bold Pension Credit uptake plan, led by the DWP, that’s backed by the latest evidence to ensure that the progress that’s been achieved to date is sustained and increased.
That’s why so many supporters have added their name to our letter to Mel Stride, asking him to take action by publishing and delivering a Pension Credit uptake plan. It’s essential Pension Credit reaches the older people who need this financial support, and we want to ensure progress is strategic and targeted
You can help us make this a reality. To keep up to date with our campaigning work, you can sign up to receive regular updates from our Campaigns team you’ve got a story to share, we’d love to hear from you. You can email campaigns@independentage.org — we’re ready to listen.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with financial difficulties, Independent Age can offer support. Check out our advice and information here or give us a call on our free Helpline: 0800 319 6789.
