The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is now delivering the State Pension to some 13 million people across the UK. This regular payment is currently worth up to £230.25 per week for those on the New State Pension (claimed after 6 April 2016), or £176.45 each week for the Basic State Pension (Category A or B).
The amount someone receives from this contributory benefit depends on the number of National Insurance years they have accumulated before reaching the current retirement age of 66 – a minimum of 10 years is required to qualify for any State Pension payment. For older people nearing the official retirement age this year, it’s important to understand which benefits will continue, new ones you may now be eligible for and those you can no longer submit a new claim for, reports the Daily Record.
Your State Pension age is the same as your Pension Credit qualifying age unless you are a man born before 6 December 1953. You can verify your State Pension age and whether you can begin claiming Pension Credit on the ‘Check your State Pension age’ page of the GOV.UK website here.
Benefits affected by your pension age
Turn2us has compiled an essential guide to the benefits you cannot claim from the DWP when you reach State Pension age or Pension Credit age. For comprehensive details on each of the topics listed below, visit the Turn2us website here.
When you reach State Pension age you can no longer claim:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Universal Credit
Turn2us explains: “If you live with a partner and one of you is pension age and the other is not yet pension age, benefit entitlement can be complicated.”
They recommend using the Turn2us benefit calculator to determine what benefits you might receive or to seek guidance from a benefits adviser.
State Pension age
One of the key changes once you reach State Pension age is that you cannot start claims for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
That said, if you were already receiving DLA and PIP before hitting State Pension age, you can apply to renew your claim as long as it’s for the same health conditions as before and your last claim concluded less than a year prior to reaching State Pension age.
The Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance are also not available upon reaching State Pension age.
For further information about benefits available when you reach State Pension age, visit the Turn2Us website.
