From April the disability element of Pension Credit will rise from £81.50 per week to £82.90. This amounts to £331.60 every four-week pay period, up from £326 from the Department for Work and Pensions

Older people on Attendance Allowance, PIP or ADP may be due an extra £331 from April. From April the disability element of Pension Credit will rise from £81.50 per week to £82.90. This amounts to £331.60 every four-week pay period, up from £326 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

If someone State Pension age on a low income receives Attendance Allowance or the middle or highest rate care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or Adult Disability Payment (ADP), they may be entitled to extra Pension Credit.

New claims for Pension Credit are processed – from initial application to award decision letter – within the target timeframe of 50 working days. This means older people on a low income making a new claim this month could receive their first payment and any arrears by the end of March.

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Pension Credit is the most under-claimed benefit and is specifically aimed at providing additional financial support for older people on a low income – singles and couples. Nearly 1.4 million older people across Great Britain, including more than 125,000 living in Scotland, are currently receiving the means-tested benefit that could provide an average of £4,200 in extra support during the coming months.

Some older people think because they have savings or own their home they would not be eligible for the means-tested benefit, which can also provide access to help with housing costs, heating bills and Council Tax.

An award of just £1 per week is enough to unlock other support. There are two types of Pension Credit – Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit. To qualify for Guarantee Pension Credit , you must be State Pension age (66). Your weekly income will need to be less than the minimum amount the UK Government says you need to live on.

This is £218.15 for a single person and £332.95 for a couple – this amount could be higher if you’re disabled, a carer or have certain housing costs. You can only get Savings Credit if you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016, or you have a partner who reached State Pension age before this date and was already receiving it OR you have qualifying income of at least £189.80 a week for a single person and £301.22 a week for a couple.