Simpler Benefit Claims for Older People

London, 5 December/GNN/ -- DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS News Release (HSE-050) issued by The Government News Network on 5 December 2007. Older people will soon be able to get more help with rent and Council Tax
bills without having to send off any forms, the DWP announced today.

The Pension Service will deal with the entire application over the phone
when people claim Pension Credit - and then send on the claim information
to the local authority responsible for paying their Housing and Council Tax
Benefits. Around 50,000 pensioners will gain from this measure by 2010.

Minister for Pensions Reform Mike O'Brien said: "This change will make
the application process speedier and more automatic - helping thousands
more older people with their housing and Council Tax costs - and making a
difference to those on the lowest incomes.

"We've already taken a lot of the pain out of claiming - by providing a
team of advisers to complete Pension Credit, Housing and Council Tax Benefit
applications over the phone, so that older people don't have to fill in any
forms themselves.

"But once they've received a completed form from the Pension Service, we
know that around half of older people don't forward it on to the council
that would pay their Housing and Council Tax benefits.

"From October 2008, the Pension Service will send the information automatically
to local authorities - meaning more over-60s get the help they're entitled to."

As part of the package - aimed at making the system simpler and less intrusive
for older people - back-dating of Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council
Tax Benefit claims will now be limited to three months, bringing them in
line with working age benefits. At the moment arrears can be back-dated
for up to a year, but this requires pensioners to provide details of their
circumstances for the past year.

Mike O'Brien added: "Whilst we strive to deal with claims sensitively and
without unnecessary intrusion, we know that some pensioners don't like being
asked for information about their incomes and personal circumstances

"A shorter back-dating period for Pension Credit will significantly cut the
amount of personal information we need to request - and speed up claims.

"We will of course continue to undertake a range of activities encouraging
people to claim, including home visits and working closely with partner
organisations."

The length of time older people can spend abroad without their Pension Credit
being stopped is to be extended from four to thirteen weeks, in line with
Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

The DWP also announced a measure in the Pensions Bill 2007 which would mean
that pensioners aged 75 and over, in receipt of Pension Credit, would no
longer be required to provide updated information every five years on their
retirement income.