Martin Lewis 'delighted' as people claim £3,900 cash boosts

Martin Lewis has said he is "delighted" after being "swamped" with messages from people who have heeded his advice and claimed cash boosts worth around £3,900 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Money Saving Expert founder has been making people aware that they could be eligible for a benefit worth almost £4,000.

Pension Credit is known as a "passport" benefit, in that it not only boosts low incomes in retirement, but also unlocks a range of additional advantages for recipients. Those who get Pension Credit will keep their Winter Fuel Payments, following Chancellor Rachel Reeves' announcement that the new Government would scrap the payments for a vast majority of pensioners earlier this year in a bid to fill £22bn "black hole" in the public finances she says she has inherited from the Conservatives.

Pension Credit also gives claimants access to other freebies and saving schemes. This includes a free TV licence for those over 75, automatic cold weather payments, and council tax reduction.

Retirees whose weekly income is below £218, or £332 for couples, could be eligible. MSE indicates that up to £2.1bn in Pension Credit has gone unclaimed by upwards of 880,000 households that qualify. However, thanks to Martin Lewis raising awareness about potential eligibility, there appears to have been a number of recent success stories.

In a new update, Mr Lewis said: "Don't assume it's not you! I'm delighted to say we're swamped with: 'I can't believe it, I was sure we weren't due, but we checked, we are! Thank you' messages".

The finance expert continued: "Pension Credit is a critically underclaimed top-up of the state pension for those on lower incomes that I've been urging people to check out for over a decade. On average it's worth £3,900/yr. Yet over 800,000 eligible pensioners likely still miss out.

"That's why it's frustrating that it's the new main gateway for the £200 (£300 for over-80s) Winter Fuel Payment - which until now was paid to all pensioners. I've been loudly making noises on that, but for now the key is to get as many people as possible who are due Pension Credit to get it.."

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) previously said there are common misconceptions that may be putting people off applying for Pension Credit. Gov.uk clarifies that people of State Pension age may be entitled to Pension Credit even though they may have modest savings, or a retirement income or own their own home.

To find out more about Pension Credit eligibility, or to apply, click here.