A state pensioner has shared how she gets almost £4,000 a year thanks to Pension Credit, as well as a free TV licence thanks to the scheme.
Yvonne Bailey, 78, from Witney, has been on the benefit for 13 years, which adds an extra £78 on top of her £210 state pension.
She also gets Disability Living Allowance as she has Fibromyalgia and severe Osteoarthritis, providing another £68 a week, bringing her total weekly income to £356.
She told The Sun: “At that time it made a huge difference to my life because it meant I could go out with close girlfriends and have a coffee, and go round a garden centre and just, enjoy life. It meant I could buy new clothes when I needed it and trousers and practical things like that.”
Her state pension and Pension Credit payments cover her energy, food and broadband costs despite rising bills in recent years.
Claiming Pension Credit also entitles Yvonne to several other means of support, including Housing Benefit and an 100 percent council tax discount.
The main bonus for her is the free TV licence that claimants can get once they turn 75, saving her £159 a year. The cost of a TV licence is increasing to £169.50 in April.
She said: “It means a lot. Living alone I’ve got my dog Daisy for company and whether I’m watching TV or not, it’s on because the house doesn’t feel so lonely then.
“It’s like you’ve got people there chattering in the background so it keeps you connected and keeps your brain active.”
She wants to spread awareness of Pension Credit so more people claim the benefit, as there are thought to be 900,000 people who currently miss out on the support.
Yvonne is determined to spread word of the benefit so that any of her neighbours who are eligible will better off by thousands every year.
Pension Credit tops up a person’s weekly income up to £201.05 a week for single claimants and up to £306.85 a week for couples.
Benefits payments are increasing 6.7 percent in April meaning these income top-ups will increase to £218.15 and £332.95 a week respectively.
State pension payments are increasing 8.5 percent meaning the full new state pension is increasing from £203.85 a week to £221.20 a week. Yvonne gets slightly more than the current full new state pension as she claims some of her late husband’s pension.
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