Pension Credit claimants told how to get claim accepted after DWP rejects a third
Pension Credit claimants have been told how to get their claim accepted - as a THIRD are rejected. Pension Credit claimants are being told to always try again amid Pension Credit claimants being rebuffed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The Sun newspaper reports a third of claims are being knocked back. There were 214,309 applications for Pension Credit in the last financial year and of these applications 83,168, or 39%, were rejected and 130,366 claims were approved.
Sam Alwyine-Mosely, a senior press officer at Citizens Advice, says the main reason that an application may be rejected is simply because the person claiming is not eligible for Pension Credit. This could be because their income is too high, they have not yet reached the state pension age or they do not live in the UK.
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Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister and a consultant at law firm Lane Clark and Peacock, said: “Apply again in due course even if you are turned down initially.” He said: “You can always apply again later in retirement if something changes such as starting to claim a disability benefit, losing a spouse or partner or running down your savings.”
About 2.2 million households are eligible for Pension Credit, but it's estimated that around 880,000 don't claim – in many cases because they don't realise they could be entitled to it. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis appeared on ITV Good Morning Britain on 15 June 2022, calling on viewers to urgently check if they qualify – or know someone who may qualify – for Pension Credit.
If you're struggling financially, but have used the government calculator or rung the helpline and been told you aren't eligible for Pension Credit, you may still be able to get support elsewhere, Money Saving Expert has explained.