440 Medway pensioners not claiming pension credit

The benefit could mean nearly an extra £4000 a year.  Oliver Leader de Saxe reports.

Transcript

00:00A showcase of support for those struggling to make ends meet.

00:03Here at the Pentagon Centre in Chatham, Medway Council have been on a mission

00:09to help people get access to pension benefits they're entitled to.

00:14Nearly 900,000 people across the UK could be claiming pension credit

00:20and that means here in the Five Towns more than 400 aren't getting the access to the support they need.

00:28You might have had circumstances in your life where you couldn't pay all of the

00:34national insurance contributions that were available to you.

00:36You might have not been well enough to work for part of your life.

00:40Lots of people haven't got private pensions.

00:42All of those people, there's a possibility that you're entitled to a pension credit top-up

00:47which is worth an extra nearly £4,000 a year.

00:50And if it's an entitlement you should be claiming.

00:53But as you can see around me it's not just support around pension credits.

00:58Many people coming down here are elderly but may not actually be eligible

01:03by looking for other forms of support be it from heating or additional services

01:09and that's kind of the point of this event to provide a community space

01:14where people can come together to find what they need.

01:17Two of those getting support here today were John and Carol Kemsley.

01:21Both in their 60s but not quite at pension age.

01:25The ex-couple say there are gaps in support for older people like them

01:30who aren't eligible for pension credit full stop.

01:34Yeah I mean I'm only 64 but it's hitting me as well.

01:42I'm starting to say well where do I go for?

01:45I don't yet leave out the food banks but I'm only a little bit away.

01:52At times I feel useless. I can't find work. I can't do this. I can't do that.

01:56I'm thinking what's the point of being here?

01:59With one week to go until the budget many will be wondering what the government has in store

02:05to help Kent's ageing population.

02:07But for now the pension credit application deadline is at the end of December.

02:13So you still have time to check if you may be eligible.

02:18Oliver Leader of the Saks for KMTV in Medway.