Less than a week to claim Pension Credit and secure £299 Cost of Living payment

We are urging eligible pensioners in the borough who are not currently claiming Pension Credit to apply before 5 March.

We have written to the 293 older residents who are currently missing out on the support worth up to £3,300 a year. Pension Credit can be a lifeline for those over the state pension age, providing people on low incomes with much needed extra support for living costs. 

It can be backdated for three months. This means pensioners have until Tuesday 5 March 2024 to apply for Pension Credit and be entitled to the third instalment of the Cost of Living payment, worth an extra one-off payment of £299. 

Last year, we helped 40 pensioners within the borough to receive an additional £2,153 a year in previously unclaimed Pension Credit payments. 

Richmond upon Thames is one of 23 London boroughs who have joined the Mayor of London’s campaign to ensure older Londoners are not missing out on Pension Credit payments that they are entitled to during the ongoing cost of living crisis. 

Nationwide around 850,000 households are missing out on £1.7 billion in unclaimed Pension Credit. 

A successful claim is potentially life changing for pensioners who may be struggling due to rising costs. Pension Credit is known as a passport benefit, allowing those who claim to access additional support such as a free TV Licence, Cold Weather Payments and other help.

You can apply for Pension Credit over the phone, online, or by post. And for anyone unsure about eligibility or how much they might get, our Cost of Living Support calculator can help.