22nd October 2003
Council lanuches new pensions drop-in surgery

Stockport Council and the Department for Work and Pensions are teaming up to provide a weekly ‘drop-in’ surgery for pensioners, and to advise those approaching retirement about pension provision, from Wednesday 29th October.

The surgeries will be held, initially each Wednesday, between 9.00am and 12.00am at Stopford House, South Reception, Piccadilly and will provide help and information to customers on Retirement Pensions, the new Pension Credit and Winter Fuel Payments. Pension Credit replaces Minimum Income Guarantee and is payable from 6th October 2003.

It is designed to make it easier for people to apply for their entitlement and will provide a minimum for those aged 60 and over. Councillor Brian Millard, Executive Member for Resources, said: “These surgeries are proving to be invaluable in other areas of the borough and I’m delighted that we are able to provide this service at the Council’s offices in Stopford House.

Many pensioners will be able to access several services at the same location, providing them with something of a ‘one-stop-shop’. Alan Copestake, Pension Service Delivery Manager, added: “I am excited at this opportunity to establish a joint surgery between the Pension Service in Stockport and the Stockport L.A.

This will enhance the provision in this geographical area and boost availability of our organisations contacting retired people and those coming up to retirement age.” “The surgery will provide access to several services at any one time, developing the theme of one-stop provision which has been a priority in the Stockport area.”

Pension Credit Fact Sheet

• Pension Credit replaces Minimum Income Guarantee and is payable from 6th October 2003
• It is designed to make it easier for people to apply for their entitlement. Simpler. Fairer. Less intrusive. Less bureaucratic
• From 6th October 2003, Pension Credit will provide a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over For single people this will be £102.10 a week and for couples (of whom one has to be aged 60 or over) it will be £155.80
• All customers previously in receipt of Minimum Income Guarantee have been transferred onto the new system and will be paid
• Pension Credit automatically. All other pensioner households will be contacted between now and June 2004 through a personalised letter, inviting the customer to make an application
• To ensure that pensioners applying after this October do not lose out, there will be a special 12 month backdating provision until 2004. Those applying before October 2004, who are entitled, will have their applications backdated to October 2003, or the earliest date of entitlement
• Pension Credit will ensure pensioners with modest savings no longer lose a pound in their benefit for every pound of pensions or other savings they have built up
• From age 65 pensioners with incomes up to around £139 a week (£203 for couples) will be rewarded. The maximum reward will be £14.79 a week (£19.20 for couples)
• It abolishes the rules excluding pensioners with £12,000 or more of savings from any help. Savings of £6,000 and below will be disregarded (£10,000 for people living permanently in a care home)
• Pension Credit ends the weekly means test - those aged 65 or over only need to report major life events
• Almost three quarters of pensioner households (72%) stand to gain from Pension Credit
• On average those people eligible for Pension Credit stand to gain around £400 a year on average or around £7 a week
• Over half (54%) of those entitled to Pension Credit are single women. When partners are included almost two thirds of people who will benefit from Pension Credit are women
• Over a quarter of those entitled to Pension Credit are men and women over the age of 80
• Approximately 60% of all women over 80 will be entitled to Pension Credit
• Ignoring any income from savings of £6,000 and below means that 85% of pensioners getting Pension Credit will see any income they receive from their savings ignored entirely