I’m 83 and disabled, so why can’t I get help with my utility bills? STEVE WEBB signals a little-known increase in pension credits

I worked from 17 to 74 and paid full National Insurance until I was 60.

My girlfriend worked part-time and she receives pension credit with all the benefits that entails.

She is better off than me with her free council tax, BBC licence, winter fuel payment and warm house discount.

I have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and because I am just over the limit for any benefits, I am not eligible for any help with my heating this winter.

I’ll be in pain if it gets really, really cold and I think the system is seriously flawed and needs to be rethought.

How can it be fair that I left my children with childminders (which I paid for), and that someone like my friend, who looked after her own children and sometimes worked part-time, is much better off than me.

I had a free TV license and they even revoked it after two years. I have saved for a small private pension and I pay tax on it.

It seems to me that in this country you are better off if you don’t work, which is not a good signal to our young people at all.

I am a very dissatisfied 83 year old disabled lady, who will suffer greatly from the cold weather this year and probably next year if I get through this winter.

SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK STEVE YOUR PENSION QUESTION

Steve Webb replies: You have raised an important point about the fairness of a system that offers a range of additional benefits to those claiming pension credit, but takes much of it entirely away from those who may be only a few quid above this ‘cliff edge’ border point. .

This is a problem that has become worse since the first free TV licenses (for the over 75s) and now winter fuel payments have been added to the list of benefits that only go to those with pension credit.

One possible reform that would reduce this unfairness would be to gradually (rather than suddenly) withdraw this additional aid as income rises.

But the government has probably decided that this would be administratively complex and could suffer from even worse problems of non-take-up than the current pension credit system.

However, I would like to make you and other readers aware of two ways in which those whose income is above the basic pension level can still qualify for this extra help.

For a single person the main pension amount is currently £218.15 per week, and for a married couple £332.95.

If your household income is lower than this level, you may be eligible for a supplement via the pension credit.

But what many people may not be aware of is that disabled people and carers may be eligible for a pension credit if they have an income *above* these figures.

The reason for this is that people on certain disability benefits or carers may be eligible for ‘contributions’ to the main pension rate, making them eligible for benefits at a higher income level.

The most important points are below, and visit The government pension credits section.

For people with disabilities, there is a ‘severe disability premium’, which increases the pension credit line for a single person to £299.65; you qualify if you get any of the following:

– Attendance fee

– The middle or highest rate from the care component of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

– The daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

– Independence Pay of the Armed Forces

– The daily living component of the adult disability benefit (ADP) at the standard or increased rate

There is a ‘care premium’ for informal carers, which increases the pension credit line for a single person to £263.75; you are eligible if you:

– Receive healthcare allowance

– Receive payment for informal care support

– You have applied for healthcare allowance, but will not receive it because you already receive another benefit for which a higher amount is paid

An important point to bear in mind for people with disabilities is that when DWP assesses your income against these higher levels (£299.65 for a disabled single person), they will ignore your income from disability benefits.

It is therefore your income excluding any disability benefits that you must compare with these limit values.

It is also important to know that someone who was an informal caregiver before he or she reached retirement age, and who lost his informal care allowance when his AOW pension commenced, can still be eligible for the informal care premium on the pension credit, provided that he whether she still meets the other conditions for the AOW benefit. informal care allowance.

In your case, if you did not have disability benefits before you reached retirement age, your main option would be to apply for care benefits if you have care needs.

If you are successful in claiming this benefit, it would not only increase your weekly income, but you would also qualify for the much higher level of pension described above.

People can check whether they are entitled to this through the government pension credit calculator.

And for those who may be put off by answering a lot of questions on a paper form, it is possible to make a claim over the phone by calling 0800 99 1234 or online at: Pension credit: how do you claim this?

I have no doubt that many thousands of the 880,000 people the DWP says are missing out on pension credit are disabled people and carers who are simply unaware that they can get pension credit at much higher income levels than other groups.

I hope some will read this column and submit an application.