Have you recently celebrated your 66th birthday? Or is it coming up? Our welfare benefits team are highlighting some things to consider once you reach the state pension age (SPA).
These include:
- It’s important to claim your state pension at the earliest opportunity – you get a letter about it three months before your 66th birthday
- Once you reach SPA (currently 66 years old) all working age income benefits, like universal credit, job seekers allowance or employment and support allowance will stop
- Any disability or health benefits you claim, like disability living allowance or personal independence payment, will continue
- As a pensioner you can use a mixture of state and private pensions for your living costs
- You can check anytime whether you are eligible for a top up allowance from pension credit, either on the government website or by phoning 0800 99 1234. Pension credit helps with your living costs if you’re over state pension age and on a low income. It can help you access housing benefit support too
- Housing costs - for help with rent you need to make a direct claim for housing benefit with your local council
- You are allowed to request backdated payments for three months or to the date you turned state pension age
- Allowances are slightly different for pensioners and there is no “bedroom tax” for anyone who is pension age
You can check which benefits you are entitled to on the entitledto website.
If you are a Notting Hill Genesis resident and have any questions, please speak with your local officer who can check your query with our internal welfare benefits team.
