Getting credit to where it's due

Pensioners are the biggest single group most likely to be missing out on state benefits, according to the charity Age Concern, which will be running its annual Your Rights Week from this weekend to help older people claim the benefits they are entitled to.

Government figures reveal that up to 770,000 older people who are eligible for income support do not claim it, leaving up to £940m unclaimed each year. And, according to the charity, hundreds of thousands of older people miss out on other benefits such as attendance allowance, which in some cases can enable them to double their income.

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, says: "In past years, this campaign has helped many older people to receive extra benefits, making a real difference to the quality of their lives. I would urge older people and their carers to ensure they are claiming all the benefits they are entitled to. If they need advice, they should contact their local Age Concern. An adviser may even arrange a home visit."

Here are some details of the main benefits to which older people might be entitled. The benefit rates quoted are the current weekly amounts payable until the end of the tax year in April. Those in brackets will come in to effect on the week commencing Monday April 8 2002.

Income Support (IS, also called the Minimum Income Guarantee MIG). If you are aged 60 or over, you may be entitled to IS if you have a low income and no more than £12,000 savings. You cannot get IS if you work 16 hours a week or if you have a partner who works 24 hours a week or more. The standard IS levels are £92.15 (£98.15) for single people aged 60 or over and £140.55 (£149.80) for couples. But these amounts can be higher for certain severely disabled people, carers entitled to invalid care allowance and homeowners with certain housing costs. If your income is less than the IS level, your pension or other income is topped up to this amount. But if you have savings of more than £6,000, these will affect your benefit. To claim IS, contact your local benefits agency (social security) office or ring 0800-028-1111. Cold weather payments of £8.50 are paid, in weeks when the weather is especially cold, to certain people, including those aged 60 or over who are getting IS.

Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB). HB provides help towards rent including certain service charges. There are two types of CTB - the "main CTB" and the "second adult rebate" - both can reduce the amount of council tax you have to pay. You cannot receive HB or main CTB if you have more than £16,000 savings and, for people aged 60 or over, savings of £6,000 to £16,000 will affect your benefit. If you get IS, you will also normally be entitled to these benefits. If your income or savings are too high to get IS, you may still receive some HB and/or CTB. Whether you get any help and, if so, how much, depends on factors including your income and savings, the people in your family, your age, whether you are disabled, and how much you pay in rent and council tax.

The second adult rebate scheme can help some people who cannot get benefit based on their own income and savings but live with one or more people with a low income. Other council tax reductions, such as the 25% discount for living alone, are not related to your savings and income.

The Social Fund may be able to provide lump sum cash payments to cover extra expenses that you find difficult to meet from your weekly income. Funeral payments can help with the cost of arranging a funeral. Community care grants help people live independently at home - they can be for things such as beds, cookers, removal costs or certain travel costs. Budgeting loans can help with an item that you cannot afford, but they have to be repaid from your weekly IS. Crisis loans, which have to be repaid, may be available if you have special needs because of an emergency or crisis. Social Fund payments, most of which are discretionary, depend on savings - normally, if you are 60 or over, savings of more than £1,000 are taken into account. Generally, to receive a Social Fund payment you must be entitled to IS, but funeral payments are also made to people getting HB or CTB and you do not need to be getting IS to apply for a crisis loan.

Attendance Allowance (AA). A benefit for people who are physically or mentally ill or disabled and need help with personal care, or who need supervision from someone else. You might qualify, for example, if you need help with dressing, washing yourself or moving around at home. There is no upper age limit for AA, but if you are under 65 you should apply for Disability Living Allowance instead. AA does not depend on National Insurance contributions and is not affected by your savings or income. There are two weekly rates: a lower rate of £37 (£37.65) if you need help in the day or the night and a higher rate of £55.30 (£56.25) if you need help both day and night. Age Concern says: "You can claim if you live alone or with another person - what matters is that you need help, not whether you are getting help." Normally you must meet the conditions for at least six months but there are special rules for people who are terminally ill.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA). A benefit for people who become disabled and make a claim before the age of 65. It has a care part and a mobility part. The mobility part is for people who cannot walk, have great difficulty walking or who need someone with them when walking outdoors. It is paid at two rates: £38.65 (£39.30) or £14.65 (£14.90). The care part has three rates: £55.30 (£56.25), £37 (£37.65) or £14.65 (£14.90). The rules for the top two rates are the same as for AA. The lower care level is given to some people who are not disabled enough to get one of the higher levels.

Invalid Care Allowance (ICA). This is paid to people who are unable to work full-time because they are caring for someone receiving £37 (£37.65) or £55.30 (£56.25) a week from the care part of the DLA or AA. The weekly rate is £41.75 (£42.45). You must be under 65 when you first qualify (although this may change in the future) and not earning more than £72 a week. If you are getting another benefit or pension you may not be able to get ICA as well.

Incapacity Benefit (IB). This replaced Invalidity Benefit on April 13 1995. It is paid to people who are unable to work because they are sick or disabled and is normally based on National Insurance contributions. For new claimants there are three rates depending on how long you have been unable to work. After one year the rate is £69.75 (£70.95) a week plus an addition if you became unable to work before the age of 45. If you were previously receiving Invalidity Benefit, your IB may be covered by transitional rules. At pension age (60 for women, 65 for men), IB will stop and you should draw your pension.

Severe Disablement Allowance. This is a non-contributory allowance for severely disabled people who are unable to work, but it is only paid to people who became entitled to it on or before April 5 2001. It has been abolished for new claimants. If you are already receiving Severe Disablement Allowance it can continue to be paid as long as you fulfil the conditions. For information about disability benefits, ring the free benefits enquiry line on 0800-88-22-00.

Help with health costs. Prescriptions and sight tests are free to men and women aged 60 or more. If you get IS you receive free prescriptions, dental treatment, travel costs to hospital, sight tests and help towards glasses. If you do not receive IS but have no more than £12,000 savings (£8,000 if under 60) you may still get help towards these costs by filling in form HC1. Ask your dentist or optician, before paying for treatment.

During Your Rights Week, callers to the charity's free information and advice line on 0800-00-99-66, which is open seven days a week from 7am to 7pm, will be sent a free information pack including a factsheet on money benefits for older people.

Age Concern branches will also be holding campaign activities locally, such as help desks for older people in supermarkets. Call your local Age Concern to find out what's happening in your area.

The charity will also be publishing the 30th edition of the handbook, Your Rights - a Guide to Money Benefits for Older People, on April 8, price £4.75, available from local Age Concern branches, good bookshops or from Age Concern Books on 0870-44-22-044.

It should also be available in most public reference libraries.