Extra financial help for pensioners.

Extra financial help for pensioners,this could be worth £3,300per household.

The deadline to apply to the Department of Work and Pensions for Pension Credit is August 18, with around 850,000 households eligible for the support.

While more than 1.4 million pensioners are receiving Pension Credit, many are not claiming this extra financial help that can also be a gateway to other benefits.

An estimated £1.7 billion in the benefit is being left unclaimed at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is hitting people on low or fixed incomes particularly hard.

This is everything you need to know about claiming Pension Credit.

Who can claim Pension Credit?
Pension Credit is designed to help with daily living costs for people over state pension age and on a low income.

You must live in England, Scotland or Wales and have reached State Pension age to qualify for Pension Credit.

It can be claimed by phone and online, and an online Pension Credit calculator can help pensioners check if they are likely to be eligible and provide an estimate of what they may receive.

How much money will I get?

Pension Credit tops up a person's weekly income to a minimum of £182.60 per week for single pensioners and to £278.70 for couples.

You may get extra amounts, known as 'Guarantee Credit', if you have other responsibilities and costs.

If you (or someone you know) are aged 66 or older, and have total income of under roughly £200 a week, get online or call the Pension Credit claim line to see if you're due a payment that can be as much as £3,300 a year. Not everyone will get it, but many will, and it only takes a few minutes to find out. So don't stall, just call.

It is also often a gateway entitlement that means you're due a range of other support, such as council tax reductions, the £650 extra energy funding help, warm home discount, housing benefit, dental and optical treatments and, for the over-75s, a free TV licence.

Any older person on a low or modest income who is struggling with their bills or wants to find out more about extra income that might be available can also contact Age UK for support to check their full entitlements.

People can call Age UK's Advice Line on freephone 0800 169 65 65, contact their local Age UK office or visit www.ageuk.org.uk

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