Pension Credit Changes To Affect Poorest Pensioners

No doubt you’ve all read the headlines regarding Brexit over the last day or so, with Theresa May suffering a huge defeat after her Brexit deal was thrown out by MPs with a record majority of 230.

But what you might not yet have heard is that some of the poorest pensioner couples in the UK are set to lose over £7,000 each and every year because of changes to pension credit, which subsidises the incomes of elderly people in need of financial help.

According to the Independent, the government has now been accused of trying to bury this change, due to come in on May 15^th, which means couples where just one person is above state pension age (65, or up to 68 depending on birthday) will no longer receive the benefit.

Sir Steve Webb, director of policy at Royal London, put it in context, saying that a couple who would have received £13,273 in the fiscal year 2019/2020 from pension credit would see this reduced to just £5,986.68 under universal credit.

Some could lose out on thousands depending on whether their claims fall either a day before or after the deadline in May, he continued, adding: “People who may be affected deserve to know about this change and not have it sneaked out on a day when ministers were no doubt hoping that everyone’s attention was directed somewhere else.”

Pensions minister Guy Opperman, however, commented on the matter, saying that the changes will make sure that the same work incentives apply to younger partners in older couples as they do to others of the same age, as well as ensuring that taxpayer support is diverted to where it’s most required.