State Pension UK: Pensioners could be missing out on £800 extra a year – here’s how

State Pension is a sum offered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to eligible Britons. In order to qualify, one must have a specific number of National Insurance (NI) contributions over a working life time. The more NI credits an individual has, the more likely they are to receive the full State Pension amount.

For the 2020/21 tax year, the weekly amount of Savings Credit is up to £13.97 for single people, and up to £15.62 for those in a relationship.

Therefore single people could receive a maximum of £726.44 per year, with couples potentially receiving as much as £812.24.

This is a sizeable amount which could help with the cost of living during retirement.

For this reason, it is important for pensioners to see whether they are eligible to receive the Pension Credit sum. 

If choosing not to apply via phone or post, the government has also created an online calculator, which can be used by those who have already claimed their State Pension. 

And recent research states it is worth paying attention to whether a person can claim Pension Credit. 

Independent Age, the older people’s charity, has claimed approximately 1.3 million people aren’t claiming the Pension Credit to which they are entitled.

The reasons cited for people not taking this up are lack of awareness of Pension Credit, lack of awareness of entitlement, and the stigma of receiving a benefit. 

Although the sum is means tested, people are encouraged to apply, even if they believe they are not entitled.