State pensioners who are paid less than £11,809 urged to come forward for DWP bonus Chancellor confirmed that the triple lock on pensions will mean a 4.1% increase from April this year – increasing the full new state pension from £221.20 to £230.25 a week, or by £470.60 a year. Chancellor confirmed that the triple lock on pensions will mean a 4.1% increase from April this year – increasing the full new state pension from £221.20 to £230.25 a week, or by £470.60 a year. State pensioners being paid less £11,809 by the Department for Work and Pensions can unlock extra money. The Labour Party Chancellor confirmed that the triple lock on pensions will mean a 4.1% increase from April this year – increasing the full new state pension from £221.20 to £230.25 a week, or by £470.60 a year. The standard minimum guarantee for single pensioners will go up from £218.15 a week in 2024-25 to £227.10. That means that those earning less than £11,809 a year will be eligible for pension credit. ‌ This is all the more important now universal winter fuel allowance has been scrapped and will only be paid to those on pension credit. Article continues below READ MORE UK set for NEW hottest day of year with exact date next week announced Discussing Pension Credit previously, Steve Webb, a former pensions minister and now a partner at consultants LCP, says it is “vital gateway to other benefits such as the winter fuel payment, free TV licences for the over-75s, automatic help with electricity bills, extra money when it’s freezing and a host of other help”. This is true even if you only qualify for £1 a week in pension credit. ‌ Joanna Elson, chief executive of the charity Independent Age, says it boosts people’s incomes by an average of almost £4,000 a year, while the other benefits it secures “can be worth up to £8,000 a year”. Webb said: “The good news is that you don’t have to work out whether or not you are entitled before you claim – they do all of that for you … if the answer is ‘no’ you haven’t really lost anything.” Elson says there are several barriers that could explain the low take-up. “Stigma unfortunately surrounds the social security system, and many older people have expressed shame, telling us they felt like a ‘beggar’ or a ‘failure’ when asking for help,” she says. Article continues below “Also, many people in later life often assume they are ineligible for pension credit, as there are misconceptions that homeowners, or those with savings, cannot apply, which is also not true.” Webb says that if anyone feels they should not ask for help, he tells them that “just as they get a state pension because they’ve paid national insurance all their lives, they’ve also paid tax all their lives, and pension credit is funded out of taxation – so why not claim?”