Age Concern UK- What Can OAPs Claim In 2023?
Age Concern
Age Concern – What Can OAPs Claim?
£3.5bn worth of Age-Related Benefits and Government grants do go unclaimed every year by many elderly people / pensioners !
Unfortunately, this Is mainly due to a lack of awareness and many elderly people have to choose whether to Heat or Eat in the winter.
Age UK Advice Line 0800 678 1602
Give Age UK a call to see if there is any help you can apply for.
They are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year
Free Heating & Insulation Grants For Pensioners
The most important age concern grant to help you with the cost of living are the various heating & insulation grants from the Government.
All are currently free of charge to OAPs on Pension Credit
Upgrading heating & insulation will reduce your energy bills by up to 30%.
How To Apply For An Eco 4 Grant
Age Concern Boiler Replacement For Pensioners & Over 60s
If you are claiming PENSION CREDIT and your boiler is over 18 years old you may be able to claim a Free Boiler Grant From The government for 100% FREE.
This includes fitting too!
Boilers over 17 years old should be updated sooner rather than later as the reduced performance and efficiency will cost you money in the long run.
How To Apply For A Free Boiler Grant
To qualify for a New Boiler Grant :
- Your boiler has to be over 17 Years old or a back boiler behind the fire AND
- A resident at the property has to be claiming PENSION CREDIT – either Savings Credit Or Guarantee Credit
Over 60s – Boiler Replacement
If you are over 60 but not yet receiving a pension, you will need to be on a means tested benefit to qualify for the Free Boiler.
Benefits include:
Child Benefit – Child & Working Tax Credits – Employment & Support Allowance- Housing Benefit
Income Support – Job Seekers Allowance – Universal Credit
How To Apply For A Free Boiler Grant
Free Central Heating For Over 70s
If You Have No Central Heating Fitted You Can Apply For A Fantastic Grant For Free Central Heating !
Our Free Central Heating Grant Will:
-
- Increase Your Home Epc Rating !
- Reduce Your Heating Bills !
- Make Your Home 100% Cosier !
- Apply if you receive pension credit and have no central heating fitted.
How To Apply For Free Central Heating
Free Insulation For Over 70s
Insulating your cavity walls & topping up your loft insulation to the recommended 300 mm will make your home feel warmer and save you money on your energy bills.
How To Apply For An Eco 4 Grant
Pensioners In Uk – Benefits Calculator
A fantastic resource for pensioners is to visit Age Uk Website and see all the benefits & entitlements for you to be aware of and try to claim
There are over 50 different benefits to go through
Their benefits calculator is second to none too.
Pension Credit – Who Can Get It ?
To qualify for pension credit you must:
- Live in the UK – England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Have reached state pension age.
- Have a weekly income below £182.60 if you’re single, or £278.70 if you’re in a couple.
- If you’re in a couple, you’ll BOTH need to have reached state pension age. You don’t have to be married or in a civil partnership, you’re considered a couple if you live together.
How Do I Claim Pension Credit?
Visit The Government website for more info and how to make a claim
Pension Credit
Pensioners Help With Fuel Bills
There are lots of help for pensioners with their energy bills.
All the below payments will greatly help our pensioners this winter.
Do check if you qualify for them.
Warm Home Discount
The Warm Home Discount is a government scheme introduced in 2011 to help tackle fuel poverty and provide people with the financial help needed to stay warm during the winter months
This autumn nearly three million low-income households are eligible for a £150 rebate on their winter electricity bills.
This one-off payment of £150 is just one of a number of schemes that can offer financial help during the colder months.
Please note that if you are living in a mobile or park home, there is a separate application process.
Warm Home Discount Helpline 0800 731 0214 or Check with your energy supplier to see if you are eligible
How To Apply For An Eco 4 Grant
Winter Fuel Payments
The Winter Fuel Payment was introduced in 1997 and is an annual tax-free heating allowance of between £100 and £300 made to those over pensionable age who may require assistance with their heating costs during the winter.
The payment is usually credited to your electricity bill by your supplier, or you will receive a voucher to redeem if you’re a pay-as-you-go customer.
This winter, they will also receive an extra one-off £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, which will be paid as an automatic top-up to the Winter Fuel Payment.
The winter fuel payment is not means-tested, which means you can still qualify if you’re working or claiming benefits.
Check if you’re eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
Cold Weather Payments
The Cold Weather Payment is a winter fuel allowance granted by the government to those who meet the qualifying criteria.
If you’re eligible, you could be due a payment of £25 every time the average temperature in your area hits zero degrees celsius or below, for seven or more consecutive days between 1st November and 31st March.
Pensioner Cost of Living Support
Pensioners on Universal Credit, Pension Credit will receive a payment of £650 this year, paid automatically in two instalments.
The first payment of £326 was made in summer. The second payment of £324 will be made by DWP to eligible customers between 8 and 23 November, and by HMRC between 23 and 30 November (to customers receiving tax credits only and no other eligible DWP benefits).
This is in addition to the £400 discount on energy bills.
Help With Energy Bills
All pensioners in Britain will get £400 off their energy bills between October 2022 and March 2023 via the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS).
You don’t have to pay this money back through future bills.
In England, Scotland and Wales, the money will be credited to the accounts of customers who pay by direct debit or with cash or a cheque.
For those on prepayment meters the money will be applied to the meter or sent in vouchers.
One-off payments
These are paid automatically and there’ll be no need to apply.
This year (2023-24), you may also be entitled to one or more lump-sum payments. These are:
- a £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment for OAPs that receive the Winter Fuel Payment. This is a top-up to your Winter Fuel Payment in November/December.
- a £900 Cost of Living Payment for OAPs on means-tested benefits, such as Pension Credit and Universal Credit.
- a £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment for OAPs receiving disability benefits, such as Attendance Allowance.
How To Apply For An Eco 4 Grant
Household Support Fund
This is a payment to help pensioners in need with the rising cost of food, gas and electric, and water bills.
Each local council decide their own eligibility criteria – you’ll be paid automatically too.
Contact your local Council to check if you’re eligible for the Household Support Fund
State Pension Amount UK
The full new State Pension for 2023 is £185.15 per week.
You can get more than the full State Pension are if:
- you have over a certain amount of Additional State Pension
- you defer (delay) taking your State Pension
Other Pension Rates
If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you’ll get a different amount under the basic State Pension rules.
You can still get a State Pension if you have other income like a personal pension or a workplace pension.
State Pension Age In The Uk
Men -The average retirement age in the UK for men is just over 65 years old.
This is also set to rise from 66 to 67 in 2028, and again to 68 in the future.
Women – The average retirement age in the UK for women is 64 years old.
There has been an increase in women’s State Pension age and women have able to start claiming a state pension at the age of 66.
By 2028, this age will rise to 67, and will again rise to 68 for many younger people in the future.
There is no official age that a woman can retire.
How Much Is The Old Age Pension Uk
The full new State Pension is £203.85 per week.
Retire Age Uk – Help For OAPs
This is a blog to help people nearing pension age to inform them all about pensions.
Included is
- Pension age for men and women
- Benefits and Entitlements
- Free Grants For OAPS
What is the Retirement Age in the UK?
The average retirement age in the UK is just under 65 years old.
There are now pension credit qualifying ages – these being the age at which you can access a pension, whether this be a state pension or any other private pension you might have.
Do I Have To Retire At A certain age?
The UK no longer has a mandatory retirement age or forced retirement age.
This law was changed in the Pensions Act 2011 to stop employers from encouraging people to retire at 65 as the default retirement age.
People can continue working for as long as they want (or need) after you reaching state pension age.
State Pension Age in the UK
Currently, the state pension age is 66 for both men and women.
The age at which you’re eligible for a state pension also depends on when you were born. Both men and women born after April 6th 1978 now have a state pension age of 68.
To control the cost of rising state pensions, many people have called for the UK government to increase the UK retirement age to 70 by 2046.
The average retirement age has been steadily increasing since the mid-1900s in line with increasing life expectancies.
Do I Have To Pay Tax On My State Pension UK?
How Your Pension Is Paid
After you’ve made a claim you’ll get a letter about your payments.
The new State Pension is usually paid every 4 weeks into an account of your choice. You’re paid in arrears (for the last 4 weeks, not the coming 4 weeks).
State Pension Eligibility
Under the 2011 Pensions Act, the pension age for women was increased to 65, before becoming 66 for both men and women.
This will rise to 67 for people retiring between 2026 and 2028. Previously, women could get their state pension at 60, while men could start claiming at 65.
The age at which you can start claiming your state pension also depends on when you were born.
Men and women born after April 6, 1978 have to wait slightly longer to claim their pension, whereas those born before April 6, 1970 will be able to claim slightly earlier.
You can check your state pension age using GOV.UK’s handy tool.
All you need to do is enter your date of birth and it’ll tell you when you’ll be able to start claiming.
Will the State Pension Age Change Again?
It will reach 67 by 2028 and is expected to become 68 in the future.
Retirement age and amount received are regularly reviewed – around once every five years – to ensure that the pension amount is fair and the retirement age remains in line with average life expectancy.
Life expectancy increased from 78.5 in 1948 to around 87.8 in 2017.
It makes sense then that amendments to the pension age are necessary, to control the number of people above the UK pension age.
Other economic factors can also affect the state pension age for men and women.
So yes, the state pension age will change again.
How To Apply For An Eco 4 Grant
New Proposal For an Increase to State Pension Age For Women and Men
Under the current law, the State Pension age is due to increase to 68 between 2044 and 2046.
Following a recent review, the government has announced plans to bring this timetable forward.
If approved by parliament, the State Pension age would instead increase to 68 between 2037 and 2039.
These changes will likely increase the age that women and men retire in the UK.
Personal and Workplace Pensions
The ‘Pension Freedom’ rules mean that your pension can be accessed while you’re still working.
These rules mean that you can access your personal pensions at the age of 55 (increasing to 57 in 2028), without getting an unauthorised payment tax charge.
Most modern workplace pensions and personal pensions are defined contribution schemes, with the pension’s value being determined by money contributed and investment performance over time.
When you reach this age (currently 55), you can take 25% of your personal pension tax-free as a lump sum or in several smaller amounts. You can then use the rest as you wish, either by making more withdrawals (and paying income tax) or by buying an annuity.
An annuity is a product that provides you with a guaranteed income for the rest of your life, depending on the size of your personal pension and other factors like age and health.
When Should You Retire?
Retirement ages are considered to be when you can access pensions. With that being said, if you wish to retire or simply stop working then there’s no set age.
For many people, retirement means the ability to stop working while remaining financially secure, with a state pension being the thing that provides this much-needed security.
The earlier you begin your retirement planning and start saving, the better. This way, you won’t need to contribute as much to your pension each month as a healthy amount should have already built up.
To better understand your options and whether early retirement is financially viable, we’d recommend seeking professional retirement advice. This will give you a better understanding of your financial situation.
Iceland £300 Vouchers
The campaign first launched earlier this month, with Iceland providing an initial 40,000 £30 food vouchers to struggling pensioners. But on 24 August 2022, the supermarket announced it had secured a further £1 million for another 40,000 vouchers.
Below we explain who qualifies and how to get the voucher. You can also see our Supermarket shopping tips guide for handy hints on how to cut your food bill.
Here’s who qualifies for the voucher
To qualify for the £30 voucher, you must be of state pension age, live independently (but not necessarily alone) or with a carer, and rely solely on your state pension or other benefits for food and essentials. You can get more than one voucher per household, for example, if you’re in a couple.
You must also live in:
- Birmingham
- Croydon
- Glamorgan
- Glasgow
- Greater Manchester
- Huddersfield
- Lambeth (London)
- Liverpool
- Newcastle
- Newport
- North Wales
- Sheffield
- Strathclyde
- Sunderland
- West Midlands
- Wirral
We’ve asked Iceland if you need to provide proof of your state pension and/or benefits status, and your address. We’ll update this story when we know more.
You need to call to apply for a voucher
You can apply for the voucher by calling the free ‘Cheer hotline’ on 0800 098 7877 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Iceland has warned that it’s currently receiving a large volume of calls, but if you use the call back function you should receive a return call by the end of the day.
Once you’ve successfully applied, your voucher will arrive by post within seven days. A paper voucher is the only way to get your £30, it will not be sent by bank transfer or cheque and cannot be picked up in store.
Go quick if you want a voucher as they’re being snapped up
The application deadline is still Friday 16 September, but if you qualify, you should apply NOW. The first lot of vouchers were snapped up very quickly.
It’s one voucher per person, so you can’t reapply if you’ve already received one.
Vouchers can be spent in 269 Iceland stores across the UK
You can spend your voucher in 269 Iceland stores across the UK, though bear in mind this is only around a quarter of Iceland shops. Use Iceland’s store locator tool to check for your nearest participating outlet.
Vouchers can be used on food and household items, though not on alcohol and tobacco. You can use your voucher across more than one transaction, so if your shop does not reach £30, you can partially spend the voucher and save the rest for another time. Just take your voucher to the till and the cashier will scan it as they would do with a normal gift card.
You can also use your voucher in conjunction with Iceland’s 10% discount for pensioners, which it runs every Tuesday.
ALL vouchers will expire at 11.59pm on 31 December 2022.
How the scheme is funded
Iceland has partnered with the Rothesay Foundation, which helps support charities to provide better care for older people, to fund the scheme. The Rothesay Foundation has now provided £2 million to pay for 80,000 vouchers nationwide.
The supermarket first trialled the concept in December 2021 in Lambeth, south London, before rolling it out UK-wide from 1 August 2022.
Useful Resources & Other Grants Available For OAPs
More Useful Resources & Other Grants
On no benefit but on very low state pension . Unfair not to help in very cold house
Hi Shirley You may get help via the LAD schemes. Call me and I will try to help.
why cant you give details of what and how can be claimed clearly? why do i have to fill in a long form first? and then cant complete the form as i need a second phone number !!!!!! Dahh some of us only have one phone and i cant even select the correct number of bedrooms as your min is 1. i dont have that. such bullshit from the government about wanting to help the elderly.its just propaganda and marketing exercise while trying to make sure they keep the money we have given them all our working lives so they can have big houses and loads of parties. USELESS SYSTEM – NO HELP
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