Benefits for the Elderly By Sarah Flett, Laura Brook and Abby Proctor

Pension Credit Aims to supply the elderly with some form of income Guaranteed Credit qualifying criteria: –Age in line with state pension age Savings Credit qualifying criteria: –65 and over –have made a contribution to a second pension or savings –Weekly income does not exceed £188 (if single) or £277 (with partner)

Successes and Failures of Pension Credit Successes: –Everyone over the age of 65 is entitled to the guaranteed credit Failures: –4 million people are entitled to pension credit but between 27-38% of these still aren’t claiming it. –It’s too complicated and many pensioners struggle to understand the system

Council Tax Benefit Aims to supply those with a low income with extra funds Qualifying Criteria: –Income and savings –Who you live with –The amount of council tax you pay –Any other benefits you receive –Means tested

Successes and Failures of Council Tax Benefit Successes: –Aimed at the people who need it most rather than people receiving it unnecessarily Failures: –1.4 million eligible elderly people are missing out on council tax benefit

Housing Benefits Aims to help those with low incomes pay part or all of their rent Qualifying Criteria: –You have savings of under £16,000 –You don’t live in the home of a close relative –If you live with a partner, only one person can claim

Successes and Failures of Housing Benefits Successes: –Benefit is paid directly to landlord, thus reducing confusion and increasing transparency Failures: –Homes are becoming less affordable, even with housing benefits –Claim form runs to 33 pages with 7 pages of explanatory notes (HCTB 1) –380,000 older people who are entitled to housing benefits are not claiming it

Winter Fuel Payment Aims to help the elderly keep warm during winter. Qualifying Criteria: –Must have been born before 5/1/51 –Not means tested Money received: s/BenefitsInRetirement/DG_179916

Successes and Failures of Winter Fuel Payments Successes: –Offers help to those with good savings –No tax to pay Failures: –Some elderly people are too wealthy to need winter fuel payments but still receive it –Costs £2.7 billion per year but only 12% of recipients are in fuel poverty –5.4 million households are still in fuel poverty and 25,400 pensioners in the UK die due to extreme cold (2010) –Badly publicised and pensioners don’t know it is available –Recently been cut and with recent rising fuel costs, many pensioners who are claiming still cannot keep warm –Energy companies are not required to help the terminally ill or disabled and criteria needs to be widened to encompass these vulnerable groups

Attendance Allowance Aims to help the elderly with disabilities afford personal care Qualifying Criteria: –You have a physical disability –Your disability is severe enough to need a carer –You are aged 65 or over

Successes and Failures of Attendance Allowance Successes: –Those who are terminally ill get higher rates of Attendance Allowance straight away Failures: –No medical examination required so people can abuse the system

Disability Living Allowance Aims to help those with disabilities afford personal care Qualifying Criteria: –You have a physical disability –Your disability is severe enough to need a carer –You are under 65 (over 65’s get attendance allowance)

Successes and Failures of Disability Living Allowance Successes: –Tax-free and not affected by savings or employment –Those who are terminally ill get higher rates of DLA straight away Failures: –No medical examination required so people can abuse the system

Free Eye Tests/Voucher Towards Glasses Aims to offer the elderly vision- related treatment which would otherwise cost money Qualifying Criteria: –You are aged 60 or over –You have a listed medical condition –You are a war pensioner –You receive the guaranteed credit benefit

Successes and Failures of Free Eye Tests Successes: –Opticians are often very expensive and thus much money is saved Failures: –Under a Conservative government, the future of free eye tests is uncertain –Many elderly people are not aware that this is available for them

Cold Weather Payments Aims to help people stay warm in the event of cold weather Qualifying criteria: –Receiving Pension Credit –Receiving Income Support

Successes and Failures of Cold Weather Payments Successes: –You don’t have to receive the other winter fuel payments –There is no need to re-apply, the benefit is automatic if you have received it before –Not means-tested Failures: –Only triggered in the event of extreme weather

Warm Front Aims to provide heating and insulation improvements to households on certain income- related benefits Qualifying Criteria: –Must be on Pension Credit or Income- Related Support Allowance –You own your own home or rent from a private landlord

Successes and Failures of Warm Front Successes: –The scheme has recently assisted its 2 millionth customer Failures: –The scheme is only available in England (but there are equivalents for the rest of the UK) –There are lots of requirements to be able to qualify

Overall Successes and Failures of Benefits for the Elderly Successes: –It’s a source of income that elderly people would otherwise not receive Failures: –The whole system is too complicated –Some elderly people are too proud to claim benefits –Many elderly people do not have internet access and therefore don’t know what benefits are available for them –Around 30% of elderly people are not claiming the benefits they are entitled to. –£5.4bn of means-tested benefits went unclaimed in 2008/9.