Older carers ‘lacking out on vital Pension Credit’ | U.Ok.Finance News
Tens of hundreds of older carers are being denied vital financial help attributable to an ‘arcane’ and baffling advantages system that campaigners say is pushing many into poverty.New figures from Age UK counsel as many as 65,000 low-income carers of state pension age are lacking out on Pension Credit. The benefit that may be value hundreds of kilos and opens the door to different important help such because the Winter Fuel Payment.Many are unaware that they might be entitled to this top-up benefit—often called the Carer Addition—which might be value up to £2,412.80 per 12 months.Campaigners blame what they are saying is a needlessly complicated software course of, which requires pensioners to use for Carer’s Allowance — even when they gained’t obtain it — simply to qualify for the Carer Addition within Pension Credit.“There are 1.3 million unpaid carers aged 65 and over in the UK,” mentioned Age UK, “and a significant proportion are struggling to make ends meet.”A survey of older carers carried out by Carers UK and backed by the abrdn Financial Fairness Trust discovered three quarters (75%) didn’t realise that making use of for Carer’s Allowance might increase their possibilities of receiving Pension Credit—even when they weren’t eligible for a cost.“It’s not right that older carers, often run off of their feet at a time of life when they should have some space to put them up, have a bewildering maze to navigate,” mentioned Vivienne Jackson, Programme Manager at abrdn Financial Fairness Trust.“The system of benefits eligibility for older carers is more arcane than a cryptic crossword.”Helen Walker, chief govt of Carers UK, mentioned: “Older carers are already having to provide significant amounts of care, are often in poor health themselves and are frequently exhausted from the amount of administration they have to deal with.”Having such a complex, frustrating and baffling system is incredibly counter-productive and those on the lowest incomes can least afford to miss out.“With rising costs, we should be doing everything we can to ensure that unpaid carers receive the right entitlements and benefits. Following the tightening of Winter Fuel Payments criteria for those who are in receipt of Pension Credit and other key benefits, a simple claims process becomes even more important.”The Government needs to take this step before next winter so that as many carers as possible on low incomes get vital support. We also need further measures to ensure that older unpaid carers are not only pulled out of poverty, but better valued and supported.”Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, added: “The additional money an unpaid older carer usually receives from efficiently claiming Pension Credit makes a massive distinction to their funds and high quality of life, so it’s heartbreaking that so many are lacking out as a result of they’re unaware of their potential entitlement.“In the shorter term the Government should work with other organisations, including Carers UK and Age UK, to increase public awareness of Pension Credit and support older people to claim it.”Longer term the system should move towards proactively identifying the older people most likely to be eligible, without they themselves needing to submit a claim.”According to the Carers UK survey, nearly half (48%) of older carers said they feel anxious or stressed when thinking about their finances, and 40% wanted clearer information on eligibility.Currently, if an unpaid carer’s State Pension is more than Carer’s Allowance, they receive no allowance payment—but must still apply to prove an “underlying entitlement” with the intention to increase their Pension Credit.Carers UK is now urging the Government to:* Simplify the Pension Credit software course of for carers* Increase the Carer Addition by £36.60 per week, which might raise 20,000 older carers out of deep poverty* Introduce a particular cost that recognises the contribution of older carersWith stress mounting and winter looming as soon as again, campaigners insist that pressing reform is needed to forestall weak older carers from being left out within the cold.
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