DWP support worth up to £11,000 on offer to state pensioners this winter

State pensioners across the UK may be able to claim additional financial aid this winter. With the recent cuts to Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, fewer older people will be able to get extra support in paying their heating bills. Despite this, a number of benefits and other actions could boost an eligible person's income significantly.

These can include applying for a benefit that helps top-up low incomes, for which nearly one million pensioners may be eligible. Meanwhile, a simple voluntary National Insurance payment could help people with too few qualifying years to get state pension payments.

Minister for Pensions Emma Reynolds said: "As we head into the winter months, I want to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are getting the support they need, and that's why we have a range of measures targeted at helping low-income households."

Here is a quick breakdown on help on offer.

National Insurance credits for grandparents

Grandparents across the UK could be eligible for a state pension boost of up to £11,000 through Specified Adult Childcare (SACC). However, only around 150,000 applications have been made for SACCs in the past eight years, according to figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), despite over 12 million people claiming the state pension in the UK.

According to official government guidance, you may be entitled to the credits if you meet both of the following:

• you are an eligible family member who provided care for a childaged under 12
• their parent or main carer does not need the credits themselves

Applications for the credits can be made as long as certain conditions are met. SACC applications can only be made after October 31 of the tax year you want to claim for as checks will need to be made if the parent or main carer of the child has a qualifying year for National Insurance reasons.

Applications can be made by filling this form online which will then need to be printed and sent to HMRC through the post. Government guidance highlights that the address you will need to send the form to is included on the form.

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is paid by the DWP and aimed at assisting those over the state pension age on a low income by increasing their annual income by around £3,900 on average. It is estimated that 880,000 people are eligible for Pension Credit but are not applying.

Pension Credit comes in two forms: Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. To qualify for Guarantee Pension Credit, you must be of state pension age (currently 66). Your weekly income should be less than the minimum amount the UK Government deems necessary for living.

This minimum is set at £218.15 for single individuals and £332.95 for couples. These amounts may be higher if you're disabled, a carer, or have certain housing costs. You can check your eligibility for Pension Credit through the benefits calculator on gov.uk here

Boost qualifying years

Paying voluntary class 3 contributions could aid pensioners in boosting the amount of national insurance qualifying years they have. Generally, these additional payments can be made in a six-year timeframe of the tax year. For example, if you wanted to fill a gap in 2022/23, you have until the end of the tax year in 2029.

For the state pension, you need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to qualify. Adding onto this can help increase your payment amount to the full rate, which currently stands at £221.20 a week.

Full details on boosting qualifying years can be found on gov.uk here.