Hundreds of thousands of people urged to claim DWP boost

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that since the Winter Fuel Payment update last summer, an additional 58,800 households have started receiving Pension Credit. However, it’s still estimated that around 700,000 eligible families are missing out on this financial support. DWP also shared that it has made progress on processing applications, cutting the backlog from 30,000 at the end of June 2024 to just 10,800.

Earlier this year, Pensions Minister Torsten Bell stated that the average time to process a new Pension Credit claim is now 52.8 working days — just over 10 weeks. This means that low-income pensioners who apply now could receive their first payment, along with any backdated amount, by the end of August.

Bell emphasized the department’s commitment to making sure every eligible pensioner receives the support they deserve. He highlighted the success of a major awareness campaign that helped drive a record number of applications in the past 10 months, adding that the extra income can be vital for many retirees.

Pension Credit claims for the 2024/25 period have surged to 321,000, which is 69,900 more than last year — a 28% increase. The announcement on July 29, 2024, introducing means-testing for Winter Fuel Payments prompted a 51% spike in claims, totaling 285,600. Of these, 162,800 were approved, marking a 57% rise compared to the same period last year.

Stephen Lowe, Communications Director at Just Group, welcomed the growth in applications. He noted that the means-testing policy had helped highlight the importance of Pension Credit, not just for the direct financial aid, but also for unlocking other benefits such as Winter Fuel Payments and free TV licences for those over 75.

Lowe also stressed that despite recent progress, more must be done to reach the 700,000 pensioner households still not claiming the support they’re entitled to.