Pension credit

2003 will see big changes helping thousands of pensioners in Bootle and making them better off – Joe Benton MP

In a new year message to constituents, Joe Benton MP said that while in April the child tax credit would help hundreds of local families with children, from October the new Pension Credit will help thousands of local pensioners.

Joe Benton MP said
“The new Pension Credit is the biggest improvement in help for thousands of pensioners for decades.

“Pensioner couples with a total income up to nearly £204 a week and any single pensioner with an income of £139 or less stands to benefit from the pension credit.

“From October the average gain from the new credit will be £8 extra a week. Some pensioner couples could be up to £20 a week better off.

“And this year the Labour Government is raising the basic state pension by nearly £2 a week from April and the Minimum Income Guarantee for the poorest pensioners, rises to over £102 pounds a week.

“The winter fuel allowance will be paid again this year at £200 for every pensioner household and all pensioners over 75 are entitled to a free tv license.

“The new Pension Credit is designed to help pensioners with small works pensions and modest savings.

“For years too little was done to help the pensioners who have saved a little but then found they were unrewarded for their thrift as income support was withdrawn. So many pensioners felt aggrieved that while others received extra help they lost out because they had saved and set aside some savings.

“Now we are rewarding savings and not penalising them.

“Over the next few months national leaflets will explain how to secure the new Pension Credit. Across Britain as a whole, nearly half of all pensioner households will be entitled to help from these new proposals.

“I have always said you judge a society by the way it treats its elderly. We have a special duty to all those who have served the community all their lives.

“We started to meet our obligations when we introduced the Minimum Income Guarantee, the winter fuel allowance and the free TV licenses.

“With the new Pension Credit, 2003 offers a better and deserved deal for thousands of local pensioners who will be better off as a result.”