Pension and Pension Credit timing

lovelyday57

I am currently on ESA and PIP and approaching State Pension Age (Nov) which brings with it Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction. Understand PIP does not change with Pension but given that cash is tight wanted to understand how long after my 66th will I get both Pension and Pension Credit (have applied online for both today)? Understand that both HB and CT reduction link to Pension Credit. 

poppy12345

There's extremely long delays with Pension Credit claims so you may not hear anything from that for quite sometime, this will delays your payments from them too. 

Your state pension should is paid 4 weeks in arrears so first payment will be about 4 weeks after you reach state pension age. 

If there's entitlement to Pension Credit then you'll receive full HB and CTR. 

Murphybear

poppy12345 said:

There's extremely long delays with Pension Credit claims so you may not hear anything from that for quite sometime, this will delays your payments from them too. 

Your state pension should is paid 4 weeks in arrears so first payment will be about 4 weeks after you reach state pension age. 

If there's entitlement to Pension Credit then you'll receive full HB and CTR. 

I applied for PC in July 2023 and heard from them in August 2024.  

poppy12345

Murphybear said:

poppy12345 said:

There's extremely long delays with Pension Credit claims so you may not hear anything from that for quite sometime, this will delays your payments from them too. 

Your state pension should is paid 4 weeks in arrears so first payment will be about 4 weeks after you reach state pension age. 

If there's entitlement to Pension Credit then you'll receive full HB and CTR. 

I applied for PC in July 2023 and heard from them in August 2024.  

Wow, that's the longest I've ever heard anyone having to wait. It's ridiculous. 

HillStreetBlues

Murphybear said:

poppy12345 said:

There's extremely long delays with Pension Credit claims so you may not hear anything from that for quite sometime, this will delays your payments from them too. 

Your state pension should is paid 4 weeks in arrears so first payment will be about 4 weeks after you reach state pension age. 

If there's entitlement to Pension Credit then you'll receive full HB and CTR. 

I applied for PC in July 2023 and heard from them in August 2024.  

When you say "heard"  does that mean claim processed  or just getting back to you?

Murphybear

poppy12345 said:

Murphybear said:

poppy12345 said:

There's extremely long delays with Pension Credit claims so you may not hear anything from that for quite sometime, this will delays your payments from them too. 

Your state pension should is paid 4 weeks in arrears so first payment will be about 4 weeks after you reach state pension age. 

If there's entitlement to Pension Credit then you'll receive full HB and CTR. 

I applied for PC in July 2023 and heard from them in August 2024.  

Wow, that's the longest I've ever heard anyone having to wait. It's ridiculous. 

They did briefly apologise for the delay but didn’t explain why it had taken so long 

Murphybear

HillStreetBlues said:

Murphybear said:

poppy12345 said:

There's extremely long delays with Pension Credit claims so you may not hear anything from that for quite sometime, this will delays your payments from them too. 

Your state pension should is paid 4 weeks in arrears so first payment will be about 4 weeks after you reach state pension age. 

If there's entitlement to Pension Credit then you'll receive full HB and CTR. 

I applied for PC in July 2023 and heard from them in August 2024.  

When you say "heard"  does that mean claim processed  or just getting back to you?

They phoned me up for some more information then about a week later I got 13 months of PC in my bank account.  

Robbie64

I know this is more of a reply about benefit policy / politics and therefore not what we should be posting about, but I really can't undertand why politicians / media people / journalists aren't making more of a big thing about the delay to dealing with Pension Credit claims. It's a national disgrace.

20 years ago the Pension Service was the most efficient part of the DWP and even employed visiting staff to take PC claims as PC was rolled out. Since then the system has been allowed to fall into the mess it is now.

It will only get worse as the DWP are going to undertake another take-up campaign to encourage people to claim Pension Credit, this time to ensure claimants can access Winter Fuel Payments. A big backlog of outstanding claims will just get bigger.

I know Martin (of MSE) has previously highlighted the problem of lengthy waits for a Pension Credit claim to be assessed but someone at MSE needs to flag it up to him to turn it into a campaign. At least politicians might sit up and take note if he highlights the problem over and over again.

luvchocolate

Plus it will now cost them more than they're saving after axing the winter fuel allowance for many of us 

Murphybear

There are at least 4 petitions from different organisations asking the government to not axe the winter fuel allowance.  At least 2 of them have already reached the 100,000 signatures which will force Parliament to discuss the issue.  

MissFlossy222

Robbie64 said:

I know this is more of a reply about benefit policy / politics and therefore not what we should be posting about, but I really can't undertand why politicians / media people / journalists aren't making more of a big thing about the delay to dealing with Pension Credit claims. It's a national disgrace.

20 years ago the Pension Service was the most efficient part of the DWP and even employed visiting staff to take PC claims as PC was rolled out. Since then the system has been allowed to fall into the mess it is now.

It will only get worse as the DWP are going to undertake another take-up campaign to encourage people to claim Pension Credit, this time to ensure claimants can access Winter Fuel Payments. A big backlog of outstanding claims will just get bigger.

I know Martin (of MSE) has previously highlighted the problem of lengthy waits for a Pension Credit claim to be assessed but someone at MSE needs to flag it up to him to turn it into a campaign. At least politicians might sit up and take note if he highlights the problem over and over again.

I had to call them this week on behalf of a client and it took 54 minutes to get through!